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{{short description|1905 Bengali song by Rabindranath Tagore}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Ekla Cholo Re
| cover =
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| type = song
| artist =
| album =
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| language = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| written =
| published = September 1905
| released =
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| genre = [[Rabindra Sangeet]]
| length =
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| writer = [[Rabindranath Tagore]]
| composer = Rabindranath Tagore
| lyricist =
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{{Infobox song
| name = Ekla Chôlo Re
| cover = Rabindranath Tagore 1905-1906 Sukumar Ray.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Tagore {{c.|1905}}, the year he wrote "Akla Cholo Re"
| type = single
| artist = Rabindranath Tagore<ref name = Encyclopedia />
| album = Record no 357<ref name = Encyclopedia />
| released = sometime between 1905 and 1908<ref name = Encyclopedia />
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length =
| label = H. Bose Swadeshi Records<ref name = Encyclopedia />
| writer = Rabindranath Tagore
| producer =
| prev_title =
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| misc = This album is now lost.
}}

'''''Jôdi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tôbe Ekla Chôlo Re''''' ("If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone"<ref name = rebasom254>{{cite book |last1= Som|first1= Reba |title= Rabindranath Tagore: The Singer and His Song |edition=1st |year= 2009 |publisher=Penguin Books India |location= New Delhi |isbn= 978-0-670-08248-3 |page=254 }}</ref>), commonly known as '''''Ekla Chôlo Re''''', is a [[Bengali language|Bengali]] patriotic song written by [[Rabindranath Tagore]] in 1905.<ref name = rebasom254/>

Originally titled as "EKLA", the song was first published in the September 1905 issue of ''Bhandar'' magazine.<ref name = Encyclopedia /> It was based and influenced by the [[Vaishnavite]] song ''Harinaam Diye Jagat Matale Amar Ekla Nitai Re'', which was a popular Bengali ''Kirtan'' song of ''Dhapkirtan''<ref name = Encyclopedia /> or Manoharshahi ''gharana''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Basu Mallick |first1= Dr Ashis |title= Rabindranather Bhanga Gaan|trans-title=Transcreated Songs of Rabindranath Tagore |edition= 1st |year=2004 |publisher=Pratibhas |location=Kolkata |language=bn |page=166 }}</ref> praising [[Nityananda]], disciple of [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]].<ref name = Encyclopedia /> ''Ekla Chalo Re'' was incorporated in the "Swadesh" (Homeland) section of Tagore's lyrical anthology ''Gitabitan''.<ref name = Encyclopedia >{{cite book |last1=Mukhopadhyay |first1=Suren |title=Rabindra-Sangeet-Kosh |trans-title=Encyclopedia of Rabindranath Tagore’s Songs |edition=2nd |year=2009 |orig-year= 2001 |publisher= Sahitya Prakash |location=Kolkata |language=bn |page= 290 }}</ref>

The song exhorts the listener to continue their journey, despite abandonment or lack of support from others. It is often quoted in the context of sociopolitical change movements and was a favourite of [[Mahatma Gandhi]].<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.indianembassy.de/templateg.php?inclpage=culture.htm&mnid=5
|title = Rabindranath Tagore
|publisher = Embassy of India Berlin
|location = Germany
|access-date = 29 November 2011
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080420232349/http://www.indianembassy.de/templateg.php?inclpage=culture.htm&mnid=5
|archive-date = 20 April 2008
|url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://homepages.udayton.edu/~mchatterjee1/sadhaka.html
|title=Rabindranath Tagore
|author=Monish R. Chatterjee:Sadhaka of Universal Man, Baul of Infinite Songs
|publisher=Bengali Association of Greater Rochester
|location=Rochester, NY, USA
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820220824/http://homepages.udayton.edu/~mchatterjee1/sadhaka.html
|archive-date=2011-08-20
}}</ref>

==Lyrics==

===Bengali===
The verses of ''Ekla Chalo Re'' read as follows:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Song jodi tor dak shune {{!}} Lyric and History |url=https://www.geetabitan.com/lyrics/J/jodi-tor-daak-shune-lyric.html |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.geetabitan.com}}</ref>


<poem>{{lang|bn|italics=no|যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আসে তবে একলা চলো রে।
একলা চলো একলা চলো একলা চলো একলা চলো রে॥

যদি কেউ কথা না কয়, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি সবাই থাকে মুখ ফিরায়ে সবাই করে ভয়—
তবে পরান খুলে
ও তুই মুখ ফুটে তোর মনের কথা একলা বলো রে॥

যদি সবাই ফিরে যায়, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি গহন পথে যাবার কালে কেউ ফিরে না চায়—
তবে পথের কাঁটা
ও তুই রক্তমাখা চরণতলে একলা দলো রে॥

যদি আলো না ধরে, ওরে ওরে ও অভাগা,
যদি ঝড়-বাদলে আঁধার রাতে দুয়ার দেয় ঘরে—
তবে বজ্রানলে
আপন বুকের পাঁজর জ্বালিয়ে নিয়ে একলা জ্বলো রে॥}}</poem>

===Roman transliteration===
<poem>Jodi tor dak shune keu na eshe tobe ekla cholo re.
Tobe ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo re.

Jodi keu kotha na koe, ore ore o obhaga,
Jodi shobai thake mukh phirae shobai kore bhoe, jodi shobai thake mukh phirae shobai kore bhoi—
Tobe poran khule
O tui mukh phute tor moner kotha ekla bolo re.

Jodi shobai phire jae, ore ore o obhaga,
Jodi gohon pothe jabar kale keu phire na chae, jodi gohon pothe jabar kale keu phire naa chai—
Tobe pother kata
O tui roktomakha chorontole ekla dolo re.

Jodi alo na dhore, ore ore o obhaga,
Jodi jhor-badole adhar rate duar dae ghore—
Tobe bojranole
Apon buker pajor jalie nie ekla jolo re.</poem>

===English===
<ref>{{cite book |last1= Choudhury|first1= Subhas |title=Gitabitaner Jagat |trans-title= The World of Gitabitan |edition= 3rd |year=2006 |orig-year= 2004 |publisher=Papyrus |location= Kolkata |language=bn |isbn= 81-8175-087-X |page= 740}}</ref>

<poem>If they answer not to thy call;
Walk alone.

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall;
O thou unlucky one! ,
If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall;
Open thy mind,
And speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness;
O thou unlucky one! ,
If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness;
Trample the thorns under thy tread,
And along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm;
O thou unlucky one! ,
If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm;
With the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart,
And let it burn alone.</poem>

==History==

=== Writing ===
"Ekla Chalo Re" was written at [[Giridih]] town in modern-day [[Jharkhand]], [[India]].<ref name = gj33>Choudhury, Subhas (2006). ''Gitabitaner Jagat''. p. 33.</ref> It was one of the 22 [[protest songs]]<ref name = rabindrasangeet/> written during the [[Swadeshi|Swadeshi period]] of [[Indian freedom movement]] and along with "[[Amar Sonar Bangla]]", it became one of the key songs for the Anti-[[Partition of Bengal (1905)|Partition]] Movement in [[Bengal Presidency]] in 1905.<ref name = rabindrasangeet>{{cite book |last1=Ghosh |first1= Santidev |author-link1=Santidev Ghosh |title=Rabindra Sangeet |trans-title= Songs of Tagore |edition= 6th |year=1987 |orig-year= 1942 |publisher= [[Visva-Bharati]] |location=Kolkata |language=bn |isbn=978-81-7522-302-8 |page= 108 }}</ref>

Titled as "Eka" ("Alone") the song was first published in the September 1905 issue of ''Bhandar'' magazine.<ref name = Encyclopedia /> "Eka" was first included in Tagore's song anthology ''Baul'' in 1905.<ref name = gj33/> In 1941, it was incorporated into the "Swadesh" ("Homeland") section of ''Gitabitan'', the complete anthology of Tagore's music.<ref>Choudhury, Subhas (2006). ''Gitabitaner Jagat''. p. 122.</ref>

The musical notation of "Ekla Chalo Re" was prepared by Indira Devi, a niece of Tagore.<ref name = Encyclopedia /> The notation was first published in the April–May 1906 issue of ''Sangeet-Vignan Prakashika'' magazine and later incorporated into the 46th volume of ''Swarabitan'', the complete collection of Tagore's musical notations.<ref name = Encyclopedia />

===Recording===
"Ekla Chalo Re" was first recorded by Rabindranath Tagore sometime between 1905 and 1908.<ref name = Encyclopedia /> The [[cylinder record]] labelled H. Bose Swadeshi Records is now lost.<ref name = Encyclopedia /> Two other records of the song made by Harendranath Dutta (record no P5270) and Hindustan Party (comprising Amala Dutta, Nandita Devi, Sudhin Dutta and [[Santidev Ghosh]]) (record no H 191) are released by Gramophone Company of India and Hindustan Records respectively.<ref name = Encyclopedia />

Eminent Rabindra Sangeet singer [[Suchitra Mitra]] recorded this song twice, first in 1948 (record no N27823), for the film Sandipan Pathshala, then in 1984 (record no PSPL 1501). There is also a third recording of this song by Suchitra Mitra from the album Rupantori (1988). She also recorded the song for the fourth time, with the sarod being played as background music, by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, from the album Tribute to Tagore.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitra |first1=Suchitra |title=Mone Rekho |trans-title=Autobiography of Suchitra Mitra |edition=2nd |year=2008 |orig-year=1995 |publisher= Ajkaal Publishers Pvt Ltd|location=Kolkata |language=bn |isbn= 978-81-7990-084-0 |pages= 65 & 72 |trans-chapter= Discography of Suchitra Mitra (appendix)|chapter= Suchitra Mitrer Record }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
{{Listen|filename=Ekla Cholo Re.ogg|title="Ekla Cholo Re"|description="Ekla Cholo Re" excerpt from Kahaani movie depicts Bachchan’s infrequent vocal style}}
In 2004, "Ekla Chalo Re"'s tune was used with Hindi lyrics composed by [[A.R Rahman]] and sung by [[Sonu Nigam]] in the movie ''[[Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero]]''. In the 2012 Bollywood film ''[[Kahaani]]'', it is sung by actor [[Amitabh Bachchan]] under music direction of [[Vishal–Shekhar]]. Earlier, it was sung by [[Kishore Kumar]], under the direction of [[Hemanta Mukhopadhyay]]. It was recorded by [[Hemanta Mukherjee]] in 1989.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060902010338/http://www.calcuttaweb.com/gaan/rabindra/index.shtml যদি তোর ডাক শুনে কেউ না আসে] Audio from calcuttaweb.com
{{Rabindranath Tagore}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bengali-language literature]]
[[Category:Indian poems]]
[[Category:Indian literature]]
[[Category:Songs written by Rabindranath Tagore]]
[[Category:Songs in Bengali]]
[[Category:Indian patriotic songs]]
[[Category:Indian protest songs]]
[[Category:Kishore Kumar songs]]
[[Category:Shreya Ghoshal songs]]
[[Category:Amitabh Bachchan songs]]
[[Category:1905 songs]]
[[Category:Poems by Rabindranath Tagore]]
[[Category:Rabindra Sangeet]]

Ekla Chalo Re - Revision history

LeonorColangelo at 17:07, 23 January 2026