SANTINIKETAN

‘I shall be born in India again and again. With all her poverty, misery, and wretchedness, I love India best.’

Rabindranath Tagore

Maehashi Debendra, father of Rabindranath Tagore, founded an ‘Ashram’ here in 1863. Almost 40 years later, Rabindranath started an open-air school at Shantiniketan that gradually developed into an international university named Visva Bharati where the cultures of the East and the West may meet in common fellowship and thereby strengthen the fundamental condition of world peace.

In two year's time, by 1845, there were over 500 new converts and the Maehashi felt the need for reorganizing the new convert into a formal organization. Since  the new converts  were  dispersed all over the country, a need was felt to organize a convention or fair where they could congregate. Thus on 7th  Paus or December 3, 1845, nine boat-loads of Brahmos set out for Goriti Bagan at Palta. The Maehashi was the initiator of this convention.

Later  in February, 1862,Debendranath found his ‘abode of peace’, Santiniketan, near Bolpur, a small town  in Birbhum district of West Bengal. He decided to set up a trust in 1863 for the purpose. Debendranath entrusted this trust with the task of organizing a fair every year at Santiniketan with the objective of publicizing and expanding the religious faith, Brahmo Dharmo.

He felt a mere congregation of Brahmos may not be able to attract enough people to come and attend the convention. Hence, he wanted a fair in its truest sense - where people will put up various stalls and there will be buyers and sellers. It took the trust another 32 years before it could organize the first fair at Santineketan on December 21, 1895.By then, however, Debendranath was no more in a position to travel to Santiniketan and attend the annual fair.

In 1901, Rabindranath started his school at Santiniketan. At his behest, the annual Paus utsav became an  event where students  and teachers of his school took an active part.Paus Mela, therefore, becomes a meeting ground for urban people and rural folk. Rural artisans bring their wares to the fair while urban relatives set up stalls so that rural people  could buy the new industrially produced goods that was revolutionizing life in the cities.

Shantiniketan is a famous university town in West Bengal. It has become a tourist spot because of its association with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), one of Bengal's greatest figures. Of course the natural charm of Shantiniketan is a major draw in itself.

Attracted by the beauty of this place, Rabindranath Tagore's father Maehashi Debendranath Tagore established Shantiniketan (abode of peace) in 1863. In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore set up a Bramhacharya school here which later came to be known as the Patha Bhavan. With the financial backing of the Maharajah of Tripura, the Visva-bharati Society was established in 1921. Tagore envisioned a center of learning which would have the best of both the east and the west.

The main attractions of Shantiniketan include the various buildings of the Visva-Bharati campus.

The poet lived in the Uttarayan Complex which is comprised of several buildings - Udayan, Konark, Shyamali, Punascha Udichi. The Bichitra Bhavan was designed by Gurudev's son Rathindranth Tagore. Also known as the Rabindra Bhavan it  houses a research institute and a museum.

The other buildings include China Bhavan (Chinese faculty), Kala Bhavan (college of arts and crafts), Patha Bhavan (the school), Sangeet Bhavan (school of dance and music) and the prayer hall. The Kala Bhavan gallery has paintings by Bengal's renowned artists like Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose. The sculptures of Ramkinkar Baiz are also amongst the attractions of Shantiniketan.

In the year 1922, Rabindranath started a rural reconstruction center at Sriniketan, 3 km. from Shantiniketan. Later some other institutions have come up here- Siksha Satra, Silpa Sadana, Palli Siksha Bhavana, Santosh pathshala etc.

Places to see

There are a Museum- Vichittra and Art Gallery- Nandan. Within the Uttarayana complex, there are five abodes of the Tagores- Udayana, Konarka, Shamali, Punassha and Udichi. Besides, Chhatimala, Upasana Mandir, and Shantiniketan Bari are some of the oldest sanctums.

Chatimtola is the place where the poet's father used to meditate. Leaves of the Saptaparni trees are given to graduating students at the annual convocation. The Prime Minister of India is the Chancellor of the University. Some of the famous students of Visva-Bharati include India's former Prime Mister the Ms Indira Gandhi (1917-1984), world famous film director  Mr.Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.

Open air education as opposed to being cloistered in the four walls of a classroom became a reality here. At the Kala Bhavan and the Sangeet Bhavan the arts were given their rightful place in the Indian education system. Eminent people from all over the world came to Visva-Bharati during its peak period. Visva-Bharati became a Central University in 1951.

Shantiniketan is also famous for its various festivals which mark the changing seasons. The major festivals are Poush Mela (December), Maghotsab (February), Basanta Utsab (March), Varsha Mangal (July-August), Sharodutsab (Oct-Nov).

Paus Mela a major landmark on the Bengali's culture calendar is almost as old as Shantiniketan. On the Seventh day of Paus in late December of 1843, Maehashi Debendranath  Tagore  became a Brahmo under the tutelage of Ram Chabdra Bigyabagish.

Sriniketan:

In 1922, Sriniketan was established as a rural reconstruction center. There is an agricultural college here. It is 3 kms from Shantiniketan.

Deer Park / Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary:

Black Buck, spotted deer, jackals, foxes and a variety of water birds are found here.

Kenduli:

Kenduli is 30 kms from Shantiniketan. Kenduli is the birth place of Bengal's first famous poet - Jaydev. Jaydev composed the famous Geeta Govinda. There are several temples here. Kenduli is famous for its folk song festival held during Makar Sankranti (Mid January). This festival is the largest of its kind in the state. Bauls, a sect of wandering ministrels, gather here during this festival.

Fairs and Festivals

Rabindra Janmotsab:

Though the birthdate of Rabindranath falls on May 8/9, the anniversary as well as the Bengali New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Bengali New Year (mid April).

Briksharopan:

Planting of saplings and Halakarshan, ploughing of fields on 22nd &23 Sravana (August).

Varshamangal

The festival of rains during August/ September.

Poush Utsav

(December 22/23-25). A fair is held at Shantiniketan from 7th to 9th Poush and Visva Bharati observes its foundation day. Tribal sports dances and folk songs including songs by Bauls, the-wandering minstrels of Bengal, are a part of the fair and festivities.

Maghotsav

Celebrated on the 11th of magha (January), to mark the anniversary of Brahmo Samaj.

Vasanta Utsav

Held to mark Holi. The students dance and sing their ways through Amrakunja, followed by open-air variety programs.

Excursions from Shantiniketan

Kankalitala (9km)

On the bank of the river Kopai is Knankalitala, one of the sacred Satipithas. A temple there.

Deer Park (4 km)

Located within the Ballavpur forest range adjacent to Shantiniketan. (closed on Wednesdays).

Joydev-Kenduli (30 km)

Birth place of poet Joydev, author of the Geeta Govinda, a 12th century masterpiece in Sanskrit. A fair is held here on Makar Sankranti (mid-January). Baul songs are the principal attraction of this mela.

Nonoor (18 km)

Birth place of kabi, Chandidas, famous for his Vaishnava Padavalis.

There is a temple dedicated to Devi Basuli.Bakreshwar (58 km)

Another Satipitha. Also famous for the Bakranath Shiva temple. There are a number of hot water springs with varying temperatures. The water coming out from the sulphurous hot springs has got therapeutic value.

Tarapith (88 km)

Numerous pilgrims visit the Tara Devi temple.

Lavpur-Fullara (30 km)

A Satipitha, one of the 21 such centers of pilgrimage.

Saintha- Nandesawari (44 km)

This also is a Satipitha.

Nalhati (100 km)

One of the Satipithas where a temple stands. Besides the temple is a tomb of Ana Pir Sahib, a Muslim saint.

Massanjore (75km)

Located in Dumka, Bihar, this is the site of a dam on river Mayurakshi amidst hilly landscape.

SANTINIKETAN:

By Rail: By train from Howrah to Bolpur. Shantiniketan is 2 kms from Bolpur by cycle rickshaw.