Gagan Harkara

Gaganchandra Dam
Native name	গগনচন্দ্র দাম
Born	Gaganchandra Dam 1845?
Died	1910?
Occupation	Poet, Postman

Gaganchandra Dam (Bengali: গগনচন্দ্র দাম; 1845? – 1910? ), mostly known as Gagan Harkara (Bengali: গগন হরকরা) was a Bengali Baul poet after the tune of whose "famous" song "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare"(কোথায় পাবো তারে) Rabindranath Tagore composed Amar Shonar Bangla, the national anthem of Bangladesh.

He resided at Kasba village in Kumarkhali Upazila in Kushtia. As he was a Postman at Shelaidaha Post office in Kumarkhali, people used to address him as "Harkara"; in Bengali, "Harkara" stands for "postman". He was used to delivering and collecting letters from Rabindranath Tagore during his (Tagore's) days in Shelaidaha. Tagore wrote over him many times in his letters, accumulated in Chinnapatra to Indira Devi.

It was Tagore who first published Harkara's song in his Prabashi Patra (a magazine) in 1322 BS. Tagore's niece Sarala Devi published also an essay entitled Lalon Fakir and Gagan in Bharati, a mouthpiece of Tagore Family. This essay included two songs of Gagan – Ami Kothai Pabo Tare and (O Mon) Asar Mayai Vule Robe. Balendranath Tagore collected the songs of Gagan in 1889.

Where shall I meet him, the Man of my Heart?
He is lost to me and I seek him wandering from land to land.
I am listless for that moonrise of beauty,
which is to light my life,
which I long to see in the fullness of vision
in gladness of heart.

Rabindranath Tagore referred to Gagan and his songs in his article: An Indian Folk Religion, songs and speeches. Rabindranath Tagore wrote a short story too (The Postmaster) partly after his life. Based upon the story, Satyajit Ray made his film: The Postmaster. Tagore mentioned the following about Gagan.

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