AGARTALA, August 15 (TIWN): The Birth Anniversary of poet Sukanta Bhattacharya has been celebrated across the state in a befitting manner on Friday.

To pay homage to the Bengali poet and playwright, the School Education Department has organized a programme at Muktodhara Auditorium. At the programme, Secretary Ramakrishna Mission Maharaj Swami Hitakamananda, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Prafullajit Sinha and other were present.

To mark the auspicious day, the Art College has organized a blood donation camp and performance of mime artist. However, the curtain of the programme has been unfurled by Education Minister Sahid Choudhury.

The government and various socio-cultural and political organisations have arranged elaborate programmes to observe the day.

However, the employees of the Sukanta Academy also celebrated day with bliss.

To mark the auspicious occasion of the Poet Sukanta Bhattacharya Birth Anniversary on August 14, Information and Cultural Affair Department has taken an extensive preparation at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan.

Poet Sukanta Bhattacharya was born on 15 August 1926 at his maternal uncle's home in Kolkata. His paternal home was in Kotalipara in faridpur district. His father, Nibaranchandra Bhattacharya, was a book trader in Kolkata.

Sukanta studied at Kamala Vidyamandir in Kolkata, and then at Beleghata Deshbandhu High School.

Along with Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, he was one of the key figures of modern Bengali poetry, despite the fact that most of his works had been in publication posthumously.

He has had a significant influence on poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay and composer Salil Chowdhury who set some of his popular poems to music.

The poetry of Sukanta Bhattacharya is characterised by rebel socialist thoughts, patriotism and humanism. Yet, it is characterised by romanticism as well.