35 handwritten letters by Rabindranath Tagore, estimated to fetch Rs 5-7 crore, to be auctioned

Indian Express

5 hours ago

A set of 35 handwritten letters written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore to sociologist and musicologist Dhurjati Prasad Mukerji are set to go under the hammer at AstaGuru's 'Collectors' Choice' auction that will be held online on June 26-27.
Belonging to a private Kolkata-based collection, the set of letters written between 1927 to 1936, are estimated to fetch Rs 5 to 7 crore. The lot also includes 14 envelopes.
Classified as 'National Art Treasure', which cannot be taken out of India, the letters reflect the relationship shared between Tagore and Mukerji, who was his close confidante. 'These letters go beyond mere communication; they offer a glimpse into Tagore's inner world during a period of profound artistic evolution. Within them, we witness the poet, the painter, the thinker — expressing himself across letterheads that trace his journey from Santiniketan to Darjeeling to his houseboat, Padma. The provenance, too, is exceptional. This set is a rare convergence of literary, cultural, and philosophical importance. These are not just letters — they are portals into a changing India, a poet's unfolding vision, and the very ethos that shaped Santiniketan,' notes Manoj Mansukhani, CMO, AstaGuru Auction House.
Written in Bengali on pages with different letterheads — including Visva-Bharati, his Uttarayan residence and Glen Eden in Darjeeling — the discussions between the two span numerous subjects, including cultural activities, poetry and Visva-Bharati University, founded by Tagore in 1921 in Santiniketan.
One letter, for instance, has the polymath discussing his poems in 'Punascha' and 'Shesh Saptak' and how critics received them. 'The rhythm of silence,' he noted, 'is part of the poem.' Another letter has him appreciating artist Nandalal Bose, who anchors what Tagore describes as 'Nandanology'.
While several of these letters have previously been published in literary magazines such as Parichay, and books like Sangeet Chinta and Chhanda, AstaGuru notes that at least four of these are unpublished.
The auction also includes a 1883 quartzite stone sculptural work by Tagore. Titled 'The Heart', it is estimated to fetch Rs 55 to 70 lakh. A note by AstraGuru states that the sculpture was made by Tagore when he was in his 20s, during a visit to Karwar, Karnataka. It also mentions that the work is believed to have been dedicated to Kadambari Devi, his sister-in-law. Engraved by Tagore on it are the words: 'Having cut my heart of stone, I have engraved (the words) with my own hand. Will it (the writing) be ever effaced by the flow of tears?'
The other highlights of the auction include a MF Husain canvas from the 'Mother Teresa' series (estimated at Rs 2-3 crore), A Ramachandran's Visions of Ramdev – Ahalya in Red (estimated Rs 1.2-1.6 crore), and a Nandalal Bose landscape in watercolour and ink (estimated Rs 25-35 lakh).