Shantiniketan the abode of peace had always been on my wishlist for a long time and I had goosebumps when I got down from the Shantiniketan Express at Bolpur station - something that I experience every time I finally manage to be!
Shantiniketan 158 kilometeres northwest of Kolkata, a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision of a place of learning that is unfettered by religious and regional barriers is now Visva Bharati University!
Where east blended with west!
Where education was not merely a rigid code of rules, but mental refinement!
Even today, one can still feel Tagore's presence, his passion, his dedication and his pride in the institution.
The place where Tagore wrote his masterpieces Geetanjali, The Crescent Moon, Saddhana, to name a few.
Won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his book of poems Geetanjali!
Tagore’s famous Open Air Classrooms, are seen around the campus, where students sit under tall trees in a circle with their teachers, in the midst of Mother nature! Tagore was against the concept of formal education!
One of the main attractions in Shantiniketan is the Uttarayan complex where Tagore lived. When British influences were everywhere, these buildings are exceptional instances of Bengal school of architecture!
Many distinguished visitors have stayed in the various homes of Tagore, like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, S. Radhakrishna, Margaret Millard,Sir Maurice Gywer!
Bichitra the sixth house of the complex has a museum and art gallery. In front of Bichitra Tagore's Black Humber occupies pride of place!
The Upasana Griha or Prayer hall the most stunning building stands out because of its many-colored glass windows, made of several colored Belgium glasses with marble steps on all the four sides,built by the poet's father in 1863. In the evenings, candles are lit around the prayer hall, and it wears a magnificent and magical look in the flickering light!
Chhatimtala the meditation spot of Tagore's father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore is a very peaceful place, there is a giant Chhatim Tree (Saptaparni ~ Scientific name: Alstonia scholaris or Blackboard tree), where later Rabindranath Tagore sat to write his poems, songs and novels.
Tagore has been a great influence in my life since I was a kid!
Some of my most favorite are "Jodi Tor Dak Shune", commonly known as "Ekla Cholo Re",
"O Re Griho Bashi" and "Where the Mind is without Fear and the head is held high"... and ofcourse our National Anthem.
Many famous personalities, such as Satyajit Ray, Maharani Gayatri Devi, Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen, Indira Gandhi and Abdul Ghani Khan, have studied in different fields in Santiniketan.
At the time of graduation, each graduate is given five leaves from the Saptaparni tree in Visva Bharti a tradition started by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
The Saptaparni is of great cultural significance in the intellectual circle.
Kala Bhavan is considered to be one of the best visual arts colleges in the world. It has wall paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and murals of famous artists. Is a must visit!
One of the trailblazers of modern Indian painting Nandalal Bose was the first principal of Kala Bhavan.
The Shantiniketan campus is now adorned by splendid sculptures, frescoes, murals and paintings by Rabindranath, Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar Baij, Jamini Roy, Binodbehari Mukhopadhyay!
Shantiniketan is an abode of learning unlike any in the world!
Today, people from all walks of life visit the place to immerse themselves in meditation and introspection. It is one of the most peaceful places you will ever visit in your life!
Shantiniketan is a shopper's paradise a well regarded center for traditional handicrafts such as batik, pottery, weaving, leather and nokshi kantha embroidery.
Wandering Baul singers are to be seen near the Kohai, ( canyon like geological formations) and are as much a feature as the handicrafts! Bauls are mystic minstrels, belong to an unorthodox devotional tradition, influenced by Hinduism,Buddhism, Vaishnavism and Sufi Islam! Baul songs are spiritual in theme!!
The best time to visit is during one of the many festivals such as the three day Poush Mela (usually in late December), with its live Bengali folk music, and Basanta Utsav or Holi famous all over the world is celebrated!
Shantiniketan is well connected by rail and road. Nearest airport is Kolkata.
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