Shantiniketan Tourist Attraction
About the place
The serene settlement of Shantiniketan was founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921. His aim was to establish an institution that would follow the traditional Indian gurukul system of instruction. In this system guru would teach his/her disciples, while sitting on the grass under shady trees. He established Visva Bharati University that followed the same idea of open air lessons.Vishva-Bharati University
Visva Bharati is an international institution famous for its conventional way teaching. The traditions such as open air lessons, gurukul system of instruction still persist in the curricula of various programs. It is still a hallowed ground for admirers of Tagore.
The main attractions of Shantiniketan are the various buildings located inside the Vishva-Bharati University complex. The Uttarayana Complex is the house where Tagore lived and worked for many years. The Rabindra Bhavan, 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 are worth visiting.
Vichitra Museums
The Vichitra Museum, inside the university has memorabilia from the poet’s life including his paintings, developed from the sketches he made in the margins of the paper while writing. Excellent performances of Rabindra sangeet can be heard in the campus every evening.
Kenduli
About 30 kms from Shantiniketan is a small village Kenduli, the birth place of great Sanskrit 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 minstrels, gather here during this festival.