The Indian state is famous for its rich history, cultural heritage, architectural beauty, art & craft, dance, music, and much more. The state, which has given us famous personalities like Satyajit Ray, Amartya Sen, Swami Vivekananda and others, is also known for being the home to Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore.
He was known for his literary works, which included short stories, plays, poems, and novels. In 1913, he was honoured with the Noble Prize in Literature for ‘Gitanjali’. Tagore was not a believer in the traditional teaching methodology. He believed that it only generates curiosity.
Consequently, when he moved to Santiniketan, he began his educational experiment. In 1901, he founded the Brahmachryaaashraa in the same town. In 1921, he also founded the Viswa Bharti University, which later became an institution of national importance. All this has made Santiniketan a world-famous town. It is located in the Bolpur sub-division of the Birbhum district in West Bengal.
Let’s know more about this famous town of Santiniketan:
Tourist attractions in Santiniketan
- Tagore Ashram: Located inside the Uttrayan Complex, it is the most valued place in Santiniketan. It was Santiniketan’s first building built by Rabindranath Tagore’s father.
- Kala Bhavan: Founded in 1919, it is a notable educational and research institution for visual arts at Visva Bharti University.
- Chattimtala: It served as the meditation spot for Maharishi Debendranath Tagore.
- Uttrayan Complex: Rabindranath Tagore used to live here. It comprises o several buildings built by Tagore’s son, Rathindranath Tagore.
- Rabindra Bhavan Museum: It was built in 1961 and contained original manuscripts, documents, letters, paintings, certificates and photographs of Rabindranath Tagore, along with his Nobel Prize medallion.
Besides the place mentioned above, one can also explore Prayer Hall Upasna Ghar, China Bhavan, Sangit Bhavana, Nippon Bhavana, Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Amar Kutir, Sonajhurir Haat, and Visva Bharti.
Popular festivals celebrated in Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a place of great historical importance known for its culture and heritage. It is also visible in the festivities that take place here around the year. The month of January sees the celebration of Joydev Mela. Basant Utsav is celebrated in March. Bengali New Year and Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary were celebrated in Bengal’s Boisakh month.
Festival of Planting Saplings, Festival of Plowing the Fields and Halakarshan are celebrated in August. The rain festival is celebrated in August and September, and this celebration trail ends with the annual Poush Mela in December.
Best time to visit Santiniketan
The best time to visit Santiniketan is from October to February. During this time, it witnesses many footfalls as the weather remains pleasant.
How to reach Santiniketan?
The small town of Santiniketan can be reached in the following ways:
- By Air
The nearest airport to Santiniketan is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata.
- By Train
Bolpur is the nearest railway station to reach Santiniketan. Trains from significant parts of West Bengal are available at regular intervals, including Howrah and Sealdah (Kolkata).
- By Road
Santiniketan has a well-connected road network with the state’s capital and other major cities across the nation.
