Santiniketan is a city town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). It was 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, which means 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 he received the Nobel Prize(1913), the school was expanded into a university. Many world famous teachers have become associated with it. Indira Gandhi, Satyajit Ray, and Amartya Sen are among its more illustrious students,
Kala Bhavana, the art college of Santiniketan, is still considered one of the best art
colleges in the world. Other institutions here include Vidya Bhavana; the Institute of
Humanities, Shiksha Bhavana; the Institute of Science, Sangit Bhavana; Institute of
Dance, Drama and Music, Vinaya Bhavana; Institute of Education, Rabindra
Bhavana, Institute of Tagore Studies and Research, Palli-Samgathana Vibhaga;
Institute of Rural Reconstruction, and Palli Shiksha Bhavana; Institute of Agricultural
Sciences. There are also other centres, affiliated to major institutions such as
Nippon Bhavana, the Indira Gandhi Centre for National Integration, Rural Extension
Centre, Silpa Sadana; Centre for Rural Craft, Technology and Design, Palli-Charcha
Kendra; Centre for Social Studies and Rural Development, Centre for Biotechnology,
Centre for Mathematics Education, Centre for Environmental Studies, Computer
Centre and Indira Gandhi Centre for National Integration. As well as Patha-Bhavana,
there are two schools for kindergarten level education; Mrinalini Ananda Pathsala,
Santosh Pathsala; a school for primary and secondary education known as Shiksha
Satra, and a school of higher secondary education known as Uttar-Shiksha Sadana.
Santiniketan is also home to Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel Prize winner in
Economics.
PLACE TO VISIT
Poush Mela - is an annual fair and festival that takes place in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush, the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay up until a month later. The key characteristic of this fair include its live performances of Bengali folk music, notably baul music.
Tagore's ashrama - closed on Wednesdays. One has to walk through the area. Unofficial guides are generally available outside Uttarayan Complex/Rabindra Bhaban, otherwise one has to follow the crowd.
Kala Bhavana - college of fine arts and crafts, has a museum exhibiting sculptures, frescoes and murals and a library of art books.
Khoai Mela - The mela starts from around 4 o'clock only on Saturdays and is worth visiting.
Vasanta Utsav - held to celebrate Holi. The students dance and sing their
ways through Amrakunja, followed by open-air variety programmes. Warning: All
accommodation is heavily booked during this period. Anybody wanting to visit during
his period will have to think ahead.
HOW TO REACH
By train - Bolpur is the railway station for Santiniketan. It is about three hours by train from Kolkata. Convenient connections are Gana Devta Express departing Howrah at 6.05 am, Santiniketan Express departing Howrah at 10:10 AM, Malda Inter-city Express departing Howrah at 3.15 pm, Kanchenjunga Express departing Sealdah at 6:45 PM.
By bus - Santiniketan is well connected by buses from all around.
By car - Santiniketan is now connected with Kolkata by an excellent road. First take the Durgapur Expressway at Dankuni, bypass Bardhaman town, travel along Grand Trunk Road, and then take the expressway at Panagarh (Darjeeling Mor).
