West Bengal observes Rabindra Jayanti today

The event is celebrated across India, mostly by Bengali community members, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the nation and tweeted: "I bow to Gurudev Tagore on his Jayanti. In thought and action, he continues to inspire millions of people. He taught us to be proud of our nation, culture and ethos. He emphasised on education, learning and social empowerment. We are committed to fulfilling his vision for India."

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said: "My humble tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his birthday. May the great poet's teachings, songs, poems, his creative corpus continue to guide us. May he remain the dhruvatara, polestar, in our life."

Rabindra Jayanti is a cultural celebration to mark the birth anniversary of one of the most celebrated litterateurs in the world.

Born to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, Rabindranath Tagore was also referred to as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’, and ‘Biswakabi’.

Celebrated annually and globally on May 7, Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti is celebrated on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh.

Gurudev became the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was bestowed with this coveted honour after the publication of his acclaimed collection of poems, Geetanjali.

Tagore wrote the national anthems of two countries, India and Bangladesh, “Jana Gana Mann” and “Amar Shonar Bangla”.