Shantiniketan

Located about 212 kilometres away from Kolkata, Shantiniketan is a popular tourist destination in Birbhum District, West Bengal. It was founded by the famous Tagore family. Earlier this area was referred to as Bhubandanga (after a local dacoit). Later, this site with red soil and vast paddy fields was spotted by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore who built a house here and named it Shantiniketan, meaning abode of peace. Afterwards, in 1901, his son—the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore—established a school (Brahmacharya Ashram) modelled after the ancient gurukul system. Gradually the school went on to become the famous Visva-Bharati University with illustrious students like Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen. There are various places of interest in Shantiniketan, such as the Tagore Ashram, where you can get an insight into the life of not only the poet but the entire Tagore family. While exploring the campus, you will also see beautiful frescoes, sculptures, paintings and murals of Rabindranath Tagore, Binodbehari Mukhopadhyay and several other renowned personalities. There are many other attractions within the campus, such as Chhatimtala, Sangeet Bhavan, Bichitra Bhavan and Cheena Bhavan, to name a few. A visit to Rabindra Bhavan and Nandan Museum at Kala Bhavan is something that you cannot miss. Besides, you might get an opportunity to listen to the mystic minstrels (Bauls) which is quite refreshing. Moreover, depending on the time of your visit, you can attend fairs and festivals like Poush Mela (January) and Basanta Utsav (March) that attract many tourists to the region every year.