B'desh to hand over replicas of Tagore's houseboat

, Sept 8: The replicas of the famous houseboat extensively used by poet

to inspect his family estate and to pen some of his works in an area now in

would be handed over to India next week.

The replicas would be handed over to the vice-chancellors of Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata and Visva Bharati University in Bolpur by Bangladesh Information and Culture Minister Abul Kalam Azad at separate functions on Sept 12.

The houseboat occupied a key part of Tagore's life as he used the vessel to sail along the Padma river, carrying out his managerial duties for the Tagore family's estates in Silaidah, Shahzadpur and Patisar for a decade from 1890 and enjoying the breathtaking beauty of rural Bengal which inspired so many of his compositions.

Azad arrives here on Sept 10 for a four-day visit to India and will have separate meetings with Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and Culture Minister Selja the next day.

The visiting minister will be accompanied by two well-known singers of Bangladesh - Papiya Sarwar and Mamataz, who is also a member of parliament.

PTI