When Gandhi was moved by rendition of Henry Francis' 'Abide With Me'

One of the aspects of India’s nationalist movement often overlooked is the cultural resurgence that the country drew from her own rich civilisational past and the connections with the rest of Asia and the world.

At the 20th edition of the India International Centre’s (IIC) annual festival, former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said, “India’s nationalist movement was not only a political movement but also it was a period that saw a lot of cultural researches taking place, a reinterpretation of the classical arts, and this was also a period where a great deal of work in science and technology was taking place.”

The festival’s edition is based on the theme "Kalpavriksha: The Nationalist Movement – Freedom and Identity", aimed at exploring the role of the nationalist movement in shaping the country’s identity and igniting a cultural revival, such as dance, music, and crafts.

Poet Rabindranath Tagore’s nephew Abanindranath Tagore learnt Japanese "wash painting" techniques from Yokoyama Taikan, a Japanese painter. The influence was seen in his painting of Bharat Mata, which became the symbol of India’s freedom movement.

Taikan painted Indian themes like "Raas Leela".

Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs, Department of History, Harvard History, Sugata Bose said, “The year was 1903. Abanindranath Tagore removed a large European oil painting from his studio and sold it to a wealthy art collector. This was to create a space for an Asian work of art to be executed by Yokoyama Taikan. The chosen theme was Raas Leela.”

Sugata Bose said Xu Beihong, who visited Santiniketan in 1940, painted a portrait of Tagore and did a sketch of Mahatma Gandhi.

“During the All India Congress Committee meeting in October and November 1937, Mahatma Gandhi lived at Sarat Chandra Bose’s (Subhas Chandra Bose brother) home. His prayer meetings were held on the terrace of the large mansion. The music was not limited to Ram dhun. Patriotic and other devotional songs were sung, too, most stirring when Dilip Kumar Roy (singer and musician) sang. One evening, he sang Henry Francis' Abide With Me and Gandhi ji was moved,” Sugata Bose added.