Tagore’s independent & unapologetic women

Born in undivided Bengal, in Kolkata, on May 7, 1861, Rabindranath Tagore started writing from the age of six and went on to become the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize for literature for his collection of poems, Gitanjali.

Known vividly for his vast collection of poems, prose, plays, stories and novels, Tagore put women at the forefront in his works. From Bimala of Ghare Baire to Binodini of Chokher Bali, Tagore made sure that the women in his novels were ambitious, free and headstrong.

On his 160th birth anniversary, here is a look at a few notable female characters from his popular works, who broke the mould and are still a rarity in the Indian literary scenes.