When I say Shantiniketan, the first thing that would probably come to your mind is Rabindranath Tagore or Vishwabharati University and rightly so. The university town founded by the Nobel Laureate is bound to enthral everyone with its art, culture and rows after rows of greenery. There is a lot more to Shantiniketan than just the university. On your next visit, you can visit the village of Surul, which lies 5 km away from Bolpur station, if you are a lover of Bengali heritage and old houses. Surul houses a 250-year old Rajbari with a couple of terracotta temples in its vicinity that will transport you back in time.
This non-descriptive village is famous for its 250-year-old Durga Puja celebrations which continue till the present day. Also known as the Boro Bari or Sarkar Bari, the Surul Rajbari was built by Srinivas Sarkar, a prominent zamindar in the Birbhum district. He rose to prominence in the 18th century under the patronage of the British East India Company by selling sails for their ships. With the wealth that the Sarkar family had acquired, they built many temples in and around Surul. They are also said to have played a vital role in the establishment of the Vishwabharati University. Today, the Rajbari lies desolated and comes to life during the five days of Durga Puja.
As you enter the Rajbari premises, you will see the enormous Thakur Dalan (courtyard). This is where Durga Puja is celebrated traditionally by the present generation of the Sarkar family.
The Dalan is surrounded by pillars and arches, all in shades of blue.
Outside the Rajbari are a couple of temples. The first is a Pancha Ratna (five-pinnacled) Lakshmi Janardhan temple.
The exquisite terracotta work on the temple shows various scenes from the Ramayana.
Adjacent to the Lakshmi Janardhan temple is a twin Shiva temple in the Rekha Deul style.
Here are some more pictures of Surul Rajbari to convince you to make a visit.
GETTING THERE
Like I mentioned earlier, Surul is 5 km from the Bolpur station. However, the only way to get there is by hiring an autorickshaw or a Toto. You can easily find one outside the station. There are many trains to get to Bolpur, which is 160 km from Kolkata.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Surul is ideal for a day- trip and will hardly take 1-2 hours to cover depending on how much time you want to spend there.
- There are no eateries in the village so you have to go back to Shantiniketan or surrounding areas for lunch/snacks.
- There is no entrance fee to enter the Rajbari. Note that, since it is a private property so it is always better to ask for permission before entering.
