'Closed Path' - a poem by R.N. Tagore

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Rabindra Nath Tagore that falls on 9th May, I would like to share with my esteemed readers one of his poems.

CLOSED PATH

I thought that my voyage had come to its end
at the last limit of my power,---that the path before me was closed,
that provisions were exhausted
and the time come to take shelter in a silent obscurity.

But I find that thy will knows no end in me.
And when old words die out on the tongue,
new melodies break forth from the heart;
and where the old tracks are lost,
new country is revealed with its wonders.

Rabindranath Tagore What a wonderful piece of poetry! The title 'Closed Path' might be a pointer toward a hint of pessimism because of the word 'closed'. But the poem ends on a very positive note and therein lies the beauty of the poem. The poem moves from pointing towards a hint of pessimism because of the word 'closed'. But the poem ends of a very positive note. The poem is a wonderful moving from the shades of pessimism by assuming that the 'voyage had come to its end' in the first stanza, to a very optimistic one in the second stanza where 'new country is revealed with its wonders'. I hope you enjoy reading this poem. And do share your views about the poem here.

U.R. Ananthamurthy - Man Booker International Prize 2013 finalist

U.R. Ananthamurthy, the Man Booker International Prize 2013 finalist is the only one from India in the list of ten. The other nine being, Peter Stamm from Switzerland, Vladimir Sorokin from Russia, Josip Novakovich from Canada, Marilynne Robinson and Lydia Davis from USA, Aharon Appelfeld from Israel, Intizar Husain from Pakistan, Marie NDiaye from France and Yan Lianke from China. Ananthamurthy turned eighty on 21 December. He was born in the village of Melige in Mysore in the year 1932. This Kannada literateur is an eminent representative of the ‘New Movement’ Kannada literature. After having studied English literature in the University of Mysore, he obtained his doctorate from the University of Birmingham in England. His thesis was entitled ‘Politics and Fiction in the 1930s’. This ‘Gandhian socialist’ has five novels, one play, eight short-story collections, three poetry anthologies and eight of essays to his credit. His works have been translated into several Indian as well as European languages. His novel ‘Bhartipura’ was shortlisted for the Hindu Literary Prize in 2011 and for DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2012. He exhibits courage in challenging the cultural norms and a humanistic touch in his writings.

Book released by Anupam Kher

Leadstart Publishing and Granth Book Store launched “The Divine And The Destiny” by Meenakshi Raina Filmmakers Sudhir Mishra, Piyush Jha, Ashoke Pandit and other celebrities graced the occasion Mumbai, 3rd March 2013: Leadstart Publishing and Granth Book Store played host to the launch of “The Divine And The Destiny” by Meenakshi Raina. An intriguing novel, which will take you on a riveting journey of uncertainty and keep you hooked. The audience was enthralled when notable actor Anupam Kher released the book. Filmmakers Sudhir Mishra, Piyush Jha, Ashoke Pandit and other celebrities graced the occasion Meenakshi Raina read excerpts from the book that captured the attention of the audience. Everyone was interested as the passages that were read out and content of the book was fresh, creating a story etched in the minds of all those present. Swarup Nanda, CEO, Leadstart Publishing said, “Leadstart Publishing has always promoted a lot of first time writers who have strong stories to share, Meenakshi is one such author. The story of Kashmiri Pandits mass exodus from their motherland has been dealt with by the media as a political story, never has it been as fascinatingly written from the point of view of the Pandits who were made to abandon their homeland by force. It is a wonderful story of a human being’s courageous journey painted on a spectacular canvas of emotions” Meenakshi Raina (Author) said ,"I have been a witness to the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits, in 1990 and while writing this book, I have re-lived this tragedy which is full of noxious memories, terror and trauma. My personal experiences, combined with my imagination has created this touching story of upheaval. The Divine And The Destiny - is an attempt to go beyond what has been documented in the books of History." Synopsis of the book: The Divine And The Destiny: • The tale begins in Kashmir, God’s own land on Earth in the motherland of the Kashmir Pandits. The occurrences in the book begin in the year 1990, which saw a mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their own soil due to threat to life and mass killings by the Separatists. The Divine And the Destiny is the story of Shereen, a young Kashmiri Pandit girl, and her family. The book is about their struggles in order to cope with losing everything in an instant and their attempts to deal with it, to try to eventually gain everything they have lost. Would Shereen who is growing up find her love amidst all the uncertainty? About the author Meenakshi Raina: MeenakshiRaina was born in Jammu but lived her childhood years in Kashmir Valley. She did her schooling from Kashmir and migrated to Jammu after the turmoil in the valley in the year 1990. She did her graduation in science from Camp College, Jammu and her post-graduation, Master of Management Studies (M.M.S) from University of Mumbai in the year 1997. She qualified the UGC, NET (National Educational Test) for Lectureship in the year 2000 and also worked as a lecturer at Govt. S.P.M.R College of Commerce, Jammu. After her marriage, she moved to Delhi and worked as a lecturer in a management institute. She migrated to Canada in the year 2001, and lives with her husband in Toronto, Canada. She belongs to an educated Kashmiri Pandit family; her father Shri. JankiNathBhat is a retired engineer and her mother Smt. UshaKashkari, a retired professor. Since her childhood, writing poems has been her passion both in Hindi and English languages. The Divine And The Destiny is her debut novel. Recently, she has been contributing poems and articles to the web magazine - Shehjar.