Shortly before India was gripped in the terror of the novel Corona virus, I had made a weekend trip to Santiniketan, a town 160 km from the city of Kolkata.
A small, tranquil town situated in the Birbhum district of Bengal, Santiniketan is famously known as the home of the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the eminent face of Bengali Literature.
There is great contentment in writing about a place you actually love and can revisit any number of times. Santiniketan has something totally exhilarating to it, something that makes the place an epitome of art, education, culture, and heritage.
Khoai is one of the main attractions in Bolpur. It is a specific type of geological formation found in the areas of Birbhum and Bardhaman districts of West Bengal. If you are interested in photography, pack your gear and head of to the Sonajhuri early in the morning and you'll never regret it. The charm of these landforms have been immortalized by Tagore through his memorable works where he has frequently mentioned them. The Khoai haat or the market is held on every Saturday in the Sonajhuri forests and is the go-to place for your souvenir shopping.
Remember Tagore’s poem, ‘Amader Choto Nadi’? Did you know which river was he referring to?
The Khoai in the Shonajhuri forests is surrounded by the Kopai river on one side, the river which influenced Tagore to write this poem and the Ballavpur Forest on the other side. During the dry season, the river isn't much to see, but in the monsoons it is simply spectacular. The woodland tranquility surrounding the place is just too hard to slip out of memory anytime soon.
It would be abominable to miss out on a tour of Tagore’s many houses, collectively called Rabindra Bavana, which are now museums open to tourists. The place is open at a very cheap price to students, so remember to pack your student ID to avoid the eighty rupee ticket costs. There are other famous buildings (also the famous school where students are still taught in the shade of the large banyan trees) and landmarks you would like to visit in Santiniketan.
The Viswa Bharati University, an university of national importance, founded by Rabindranath Tagore is the main educational institution in Bolpur with departments in various subjects. It has a beautiful and massive campus, an unique one in a rural setting in the midst of nature.
If you’re going to Bolpur during the Holi festival, or 'Boshonto Utsav', I’d rather not give you the ‘spoilers’. Its sublime, something totally out of the world. Watch the Viswa Bharati university gear up for the festival which surpasses every mark of perfection.
Santiniketan serves as the 'downtime place' for artists, writers, Nobel laureates and eminent personalities (I had the incredible luck of spotting economist Amartya Sen in his back garden). With poetic names of the charming villas, streets lined by rows of trees, Santiniketan is for you to unwind and get lost in the eloquent and highly poetic environment of the place.
Follow me on Instagram for more pictures from the Santiniketan trip and an insight into the Boshonto Utsav!
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