Chandalika - Rabindranath Tagore - Class Notes
CHANDALIKA Introduction Chandalika is a famous dance drama written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1933. Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest literary figures of India, well known as a poet, novelist, dramatist, philosopher, painter, and social reformer. He became the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his work Gitanjali. Tagore’s literary works mainly focused on humanity, freedom, equality, spirituality, and social reform. He strongly opposed social evils such as caste discrimination, narrow mindedness, and inequality. Chandalika reflects these ideas clearly through its powerful criticism of untouchability and its emphasis on human dignity. The drama is based on a Buddhist legend and mainly deals with themes such as untouchability, self-respect, love, equality, and spiritual awakening. The title “Chandalika” refers to a girl belonging to the untouchable caste known as “Chandal.” Background of the Drama The story of Chand...