President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore had visualised India as a leading source of knowledge in the global arena, while speaking at the convocation of the Visva Bharati University founded by the first Asian Nobel prize winner.

Murmu, the Visitor of the central university, also said though she had the privilege to visit many institutions of learning and eminence, but her first visit to Visva Bharati remains very special as it is associated with the memory of one of the greatest thinkers in this world.

"Gurudev had visualised India being the leading source of knowledge....", and Visva Bharati was founded based on this principle, she said.

Murmu also pointed out the two national anthems of India and neighbouring Bangladesh have both been composed by the Bard - Jana Gana Mana and Amar Sonar Bangla respectively.

The President recalled her visit to Tagore's ancestral place Jorasanko thakurbari in Calcutta the day before and said this was nothing short of a "pilgrimage." Governor C V Ananda Bose and Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty also addressed the students having assembled to be awarded degrees at the convocation for the year 2022.

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