Map of Birbhum
Located about 180 km away in the north of the city of Kolkata, Santiniketan happens to be a small town in the district of Birbhum, in West Bengal, India. Owing all its fame to the Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, this current university town is home to the renowned Visva-Bharati University.
Originally known as Bhubandanga, drawing its name from a local dacoit, Bhuban Dacoit, Santiniketan was owned by the famous Tagore Family. In the year 1862, when Maharshi Devendranath Tagore was having a boat journey through Raipur, he came across a land covered in red soil and lush paddy field with date palms and Chatim tress to add to the beauty. He then decided to stop and have a look at the place, plant some more trees and set up a small house for himself and call it ‘Santiniketan ”, meaning ‘abode of piece’. Later on in the year 1863, he initiated an ‘Ashram’ here and named it “Brahmo Samaj”.
On 22nd December, 1901, Maharshi Devendranath Tagore’s son, Rabindranath Tagore commenced a school here at Santiniketan and named it “Brahmachary Asrama”, which is presently known as Patha Bhavan. The school was modeled after the Gurukul System in the ancient times. The school was later expanded to a university, which is at present the Visva Bharati University. This name had a symbolic meaning and significance for Rabindranath Tagore. It meant a place “where the world makes a home in a nest”. The main aim of this educational institution was a search for truth, amidst the blend of Eastern and Western learning methods. The Chancellor of the University is India’s Prime Minister. Here cultures from east and west blend for the common cause that is World Peace and Spiritualism. Apart from the prestigious Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan is also home to the Bengal Institute of Technology and Management (BITM).
Over the years, Santiniketan developed into a spiritual center, where people from all kinds of religions and backgrounds were invited for prayers and meditation. Santiniketan was the dream and vision of Rabindranath Tagore. The place has a great historical significance as Rabindranath Tagore once lived here and penned down numerous literally classics, novels, poems, and songs etc.
Although the association of the place with the great Rabindranath Tagore act as an important factor in pulling numerous people to the place, however, the natural beauty, charm, peace and tranquility of Santiniketan is no less.
Places to visit at Santiniketan
While at Santiniketan, you must have a look at the Visva-Bharati campus, China Bhavan (Chinese faculty), Sangeet Bhavan (school of dance and music), Kala Bhavan (college of arts and crafts), Patha Bhavan (the Brahmacharya School) and the prayer hall. A museum and a research Institute also finds place here. Chatimtola is an interesting place at Santiniketan, where Tagore’s father once meditated.
Education under the open air as opposed to that within the closed walls got a new meaning at Santiniketan. At the Sangeet Bhavan and Kala Bhavan, education found a new direction. As dreamt by Tagore, the students were encouraged to grow naturally amidst nature and become responsible human beings.
Another place of visit at Santiniketan is Sriniketan, which was established in the year 1922 as a center for rural reconstruction. An agricultural educational institute also finds place here, at a distance of 3 km from Santiniketan.
Have a look at the spotted deer, Black Buck, water birds, foxes etc at the Deer Park or the Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary, or visit one of the sacred “Sathipithas”, Knankalitala, on the banks of Kopai River. While the Deer Park is 4 km from Santiniketan, Kankalitala is approximately 9 km away.
Kenduli, which is the birth place of Joydev, the author of the 12th century Sanskrit masterpiece, “Geeta Govinda” is yet another place worth visiting and is at a distance of 30 km from Santiniketan. There are quite a few temples here. The place is popular for its festival of folk song during Makar Sankranti, in the month of January. It is considered to be the largest festival in the whole state. Nonoor is the birthplace of the famous Kabi Chandidas and is 18km from Santiniketan. While on their tour to Santiniketan, many people also prefer to go down to some of the popular getaways such as Tarapith, Lavpur-Fullara, Saintha- Nandesawari, Nalhati etc. One beautiful place is Massanjore at a distance of 75km from Santiniketan. The place serves as the venue for a dam on Mayurakshi River, among the hilly landscape of Dumka.
Celebrations at Santiniketan
Santiniketan is the land of festivals such as Poush Mela in December, Maghotsab in February, Basanta Utsab in March, Varsha Mangal in the months of July and August, Sharodutsab in October or November etc.
- Rabindra Janmotsab
Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary, popularly known as Rabindra Janmotsab, is celebrated every year on the 1st day of the Bengali New Year, in the month of April.
- Briksharopan
In the month of August, people engage in planting of saplings and plants, which is called “Briksharopan”, and ploughing of fields.
- Varshamangal
It is the festival of rains celebrated during the months of August and September
- Poush Utsav
A trust was formed by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore in the year 1863, for the running and functioning of Santiniketan. The trust was also entrusted with the responsibility of organizing a fair with the aim to propagate the religious faith of Brahmo Dharmo, which was very new then. This fair was named Poush Utsav or Poush Mela, as it takes place annually in Poush i.e in the month of December. An important tourist attraction and a big celebration at Santiniketan, the Poush Mela is the meeting place of urban and local people, students, scholars and many more. It acts as a platform to uphold the artifacts and products made by the local artisans such as leather bags, batik materials, paintings, earthenwares etc. Tribal dances, folk songs, sports etc forms a part of this festival.
- Maghotsav
Celebrated every year on 11th Magha, i.e January, Maghotsav marks the anniversary of the Brahmo Samaj.
- Vasanta Utsav
Vasanta Utsav marks the festival of Holi where students at Santiniketan engage themselves in dancing and singing their way through the Amrakunja. This is followed by different cultural and social programs in the open air.
Santiniketan: The last Heartbeat of a Dying Dream?
In the twilight period of Rabindranath Tagore’s life, the Genius was extremely worried with the future of Santiniketan and Visva Bharati. The most valuable of the creative pursuits of the Genius was believed to be at stake.
Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, three of them to whom, Tagore expressed his worrying thoughts, assured that his vision and dream will surely be realized. The moot question that however, creeps into our mind, at the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore is, whether Santiniketan is slowly losing the sights of the original ideals of its founder? Would Rabindranath Tagore be pained to witness the sea change that is taking place at Santiniketan? Or would he be happy to see modern education touching the students of Santiniketan, in a major way?
Although we all would agree that a change for the better and progress of the society is needed and always encouraged, yet, is it worth it always- that’s the question. Tagore would surely be hurt to see that classes at Santiniketan don’t take place in open air anymore, that his Nobel medallion is no more at Santiniketan and most importantly that the basic ideals put forward by him is failing to create an impact on the minds of people. Once Tagore said that “I want education in its real sense and not what the word implies,”- is this truly being followed? Accepting the “New”- does that mean forgetting the old? A blend of the old and new is what we want or simply the New, forgetting our roots- it’s a choice that we have to make for ourselves!
“The last Heartbeat of a Dying Dream”- standing with this as a backdrop, can we say this about “Santiniketan ”?
