On 3 July 2025, the unveiling of the bronze bust of Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian Nobel Laureate for Literature, took place at Sandeman House Garden, behind the Scottish Storytelling Centre off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It was an event of international significance. The statue which has been beautifully sculpted by the renowned Indian sculptor, the centenarian, Ram Vanji Sutar, was gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies (ScoTs).
The proceedings began with a piper, Anand Bhopal piping in the guests and Lady Caplan, the Chair of ScoTs, welcoming the dignitaries and distinguished guests. His Excellency, Mr Vikram Doraiswami, the High Commissioner of India ceremonially handed over Rabindranath’s bust to the Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh, for the people of Edinburgh. who both proceeded to unveil the bust. The whole event was meticulously anchored by the ScoTs Secretary, Dr Swagatam Sen
A dream nurtured for many years by ScoTs of bringing Rabindranath to Scotland, was fulfilled by the installation of Rabindranath’s bust, which has been skilfully and generously carried out by Benjamin Tindall Architects. The very positioning of Rabindranath’s bust opposite that of his close friend and associate, the Scottish polymath, Sir Patrick Geddes’ bust (sculpted by Kenny Hunter), is significant, as it endorses the continuity of Indian and Scottish socio-historic links.
The occasion was graced by the presence of leading policy makers in Kaukab Stewart MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament, Minister for Equalities; Sarah Boyack MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament, Shadow Cabinet Member for Net Zero, Energy and Just Transition; Dr Scot Arthur, Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom and Foysol Choudhury, MBE, Member of the Scottish Parliament, Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe, and International Development. A sizeable number of members of the community were present as friends of India to witness this historic moment, in what was, a warm occasion on a sunny summer day as the promised of rain was held off.
The unveiling was a collaborative event organized by ScoTs and supported by the Indian Consulate in Scotland. Two former Consul Generals, Anju Ranjan and Bijay Selvaraj and the current CGI Mr Siddharth Malik have been instrumental in the realization of what has been a fulfilling journey. With the support of Sandeman House and Garden, the Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Scottish Book Trust, the Edinburgh City Council and the Government of India, a dream has been realised with this unveiling. The two friends, Rabindranath and Geddes, both Renaissance figures, were internationalists and humanists. They are with us now in Scotland and one can imagine them talking to each other beyond life, as it were. They remain not just as a joint symbol of Indo-Scottish collaboration and exchange, but they offer a place of pilgrimage, inspiration and hope for Scottish residents and visitors to Scotland in these dark times of uncertainty and conflict.
Rabindranath and Geddes’s shared ideas on the primacy of forests for the future of human life on earth, were presented by a talented creative team in a dance drama, Palash: Flame of the Forest, sponsored by ScoTs, which was built on the theme, ‘Forests are our Future: By Leaves we Live’. It was a spectacular performance composed with Tagore’s songs and Geddes’ words. Palash was followed by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh opening the exhibition entitled, Through Kindred Eyes: Two South Asian Artists’ Framings of Scotland with paintings by Vibha Pankaj and photographs by Hermann Rodrigues. A reception with canapes showcasing a fusion of Scottish-Indian delicacies, was served by Haggis Box, the café at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, to all the guests on this memorable afternoon.
Prof. Bashabi Fraser, PhD CBE, HonFASL
Professor Emerita of English & Creative Writing
Edinburgh Napier University
Director, Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies (ScoTs)
https://scotstagore.org