Lyric and background history of song lukiye aso adhar rate

Parjaay: Puja (90)

Upa-parjaay: Bondhu

Taal: Kaharwa

Raag: Pilu

Written on: 1913 (14 Agrahayan 1320)

Place: Shantiniketan

Collection: Geetimalya

Swarabitan: 42 (Arupratan)

Notation by: Dinendranath Tagore

Notes: This song was written on 30th November, 1913 at Shantiniketan.

Three songs were written on two back to back days. They are Lukiye Aaso Aandhar Raate …, Aamar Kanttho Tnaare Daake… and Aamar Sakol Knaata Dhonyo Kore … .

On 23rd November, 1913 a crowd of five hundred people had moved from Kolkata to Shantiniketan by train in order to congratulate him after Rabindranath had received the Nobel Prize. Among the mass he had noticed a few people on the front row who were always been vocal in order to cause enough disrepute for him. (Although, no report has ever been published to reveal their identity.) His speech in reply had created a huge controversy. Kanika Bandyopadhyay in her book ‘Rabindra Sangeet’ had opined that these three songs may have been written within a week as a reaction of this ceremony. He had used the words ‘Jini prosanno hole asommaner protyek knaatati phul hoye phote’, in his speech, which can be seen to be reflected in the third song.

The day before composition of the song ‘Lukiye Aaso Aandhar Raate…’ Andrews had left Shantiniketan to join the movement at Durban with Gandhi. Enough critsism he had to face when he had, despite being white, touched the feet of Gandhi publicly. His mother was ill back in England. But he had cancelled his trip to see his ailing mother and instead moved to Durban. He did not see his mother when he reached England, she had already died. Rabindranath had sent a letter from Shantiniketan, to Andrews as a consolation, containing English translation of the song – ‘You have come to me hidden in the darkness of night, my Friend.’