The UK-based Rabindranath Tagore scholar Dr Ananda Gupta shared his thoughts with Dhaka residents at a cultural programme featuring music, dance, and poetry recitals on Monday.

Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) organised the cultural show marking the Bengali New Year 1431 at Chhayanaut Bhaban in Dhanmondi in the capital.

Through music and dance, artistes also marked the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore's meeting with renowned Argentine author Victoria Ocampo.

Argentine Ambassador Marcelo C Cesa was the guest of honour while IGCC Director Mrinmoy Chakraborty welcomed all artistes at the event titled “Tagore and Victoria Ocampo – Vijaya the Victorious 100-Years On.”

Rabindranath Tagore had decided to travel to Peru after being invited by the country’s government to celebrate its centenary of independence in 1924. He boarded a ship from Colombo port in Sri Lanka, but caught influenza.

Although he set out for Peru, he was unable to continue the two-month-long journey and got off the ship after it reached Argentina.

At one point during his days of illness at Plaza Hotel in Argentine capital one of his readers Victoria Ocampo suddenly came to him.

At Ocampo’s invitation, Tagore left the hotel and started staying at a rented house outside the city in San Isidro. Sitting on the chair placed on the balcony of the house, he stared at the river and wrote poems.

Under Ocampo’s care, he began to recover.