Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometers north of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). Made famous by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town (Visva-Bharati University) that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Santiniketan is also a tourist attraction because Rabindranath wrote many of his literary classics here and his house is a place of historical importance.
Santiniketan was previously called Bhubandanga (named after Bhuban Dakat, a local dacoit) and owned by the Tagore family. Rabindranath’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, found it very peaceful and renamed it Santiniketan, meaning abode (niketan) of peace (shanti). It was here that Rabindranath Tagore started Patha Bhavana, the school of his ideals, whose central premise was that learning in a natural environment would be more enjoyable and fruitful. After receiving the Nobel Prize (1913), the school became a university. Many world famous teachers have been associated with him. Indira Gandhi, Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen are among his most illustrious students.
SIGHTS:
There are various institutions under Visva Bharati-Patha Bhavan, Uttar Shiksha Sadana, Siksha Bhavan, Vidya Bhavan, Vinay Bhavan, Kala Bhavan, Sangeet Bhavan and Rabindra Bhavan, China Bhavan, Hindi Bhavan etc. There is a museum called Vichittra and an art gallery by the name of Nandan. Within the Uttarayana complex, there are five abodes of Tagore-Udayana, Konarka, Shamali, Punassha and Udichi. Also, Chhatimala, Upasana Mandir and Santiniketan Bari are some of the oldest shrines. In the year 1922, Rabindranath started a rural reconstruction center in Sriniketan, 3 km from Santiniketan. Later some other institutions have sprung up here: Siksha Satra, Silpa Sadana, Palli Siksha Bhavana and Santosh Pathshala etc.
SQUARES AROUND SANTINIKETAN:
Just 9 km from Santiniketan, on the banks of the Kopai River, is Kankalitala, considered one of the sacred Saktipithas. In the forest of Ballavpur, 4 km from Santiniketan, is the Deer Park. Nearby is Nonoor, famous for its Bakranath Shiva temple and sulphurous hot springs. Other nearby places are Tarapith, Lavpur-Fullara, Saintha-Nandesawari, Nalhati and Massanjore.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS:
Rabindra Janmotsav is celebrated in the middle of April to commemorate the Bengali New Year and also Tagore’s anniversary. Briksharopan, the festival of planting saplings, and Halakarshan, the festival of plowing the fields, are celebrated on the 22nd and 23rd of Sravana (August). Varshamangal, the rain festival, is celebrated during August/September. Poush Utsav, a fair held in Santiniketan and Visva Bharati from 7 to 9 Poush (December), is observed to mark its founding day. Tribal sports, folk dances and songs, including the songs of Bauls, the wandering minstrels of Bengal, are part of the fair and festivities. Maghotsav is celebrated on the 11th of Magha (January) to commemorate the anniversary of Brahmo Samaj. Vasanta Utsav is held to mark Holi. Students dance and sing their way through Amrakunja, followed by outdoor variety shows.
HOW TO REACH:
BY ROAD – Regular buses run regularly on the Calcutta-Santiniketan route covering a distance of 211 km.
BY TRAIN: The nearest railway station to Santiniketan is Bolpur, which is connected to Kolkata. From Bolpur, one can simply take a cycle rickshaw to cover the 2 km distance to Santiniketan.
BY AIR – The nearest airport is in Kolkata.
WHERE TO STAY:
There are tourist lodges and tourist huts run by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation. Visva Bharati runs a guest house. There are youth hostels in Bolpur and Bakeswar. There are also private hotels in Bolpur.