Slovenia pays tribute to Nehru

Goriska Brda, a beautiful Alpine district in western Slovenia, Tuesday paid tribute to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 50th death anniversary.

In a ceremony attended by India's Ambassador Sarvajit Chakravarti, Goriska Brda Mayor Franz Muzic laid a wreath at Nehru's bust installed at the imposing Dobrovo Castle by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar inaugurated the bust in June 2013 during her visit to the Central European republic of just two million people.

Mayor Muzic said that Slovenia nurtured warm memories of Nehru and his "contribution to the upliftment of our peoples through strong bonds of friendship and cooperation" with the then presidents Josip Broz Tito and Gamal Abdel Nasser."

He congratulated the new Indian government that took charge Monday and expressed confidence that Goriska Brda -- which in many ways resembles Jammu and Kashmir -- would evolve as a bridge of cooperation and development between the two countries.

The mayor hoped that far more Indian tourists would visit the pristine district, situated less than two hours by road from Venice, and offered Indian entrepreneurs expertise in horticulture and fruit processing, including the manufacture of fine wines.

The town of Medana in Goriska Brda was home to Slovenian poet Alojz Gradnik, who devoted his life to translating many significant works of Indian poet-laureate Rabindranath Tagore into Slovene. Gradnik's translations of Tagore's poetry still have pride of place in an international festival of poetry, 'Sanje Medana', held in August each year in his memory.

An exhibition of Tagore's paintings sent by ICCR will be displayed at the medieval village of Smartno from Aug 7, the death anniversary of Tagore, until Sep 10 and a concert based on Rabindra Sangeet presented by the new Indo-Slovenian musical group "Triglav".

Goriska Brda plans to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru by celebrating Children's Day on Nov 14 and holding an exhibition of photographs of his lifetime.