Day Trip to Shantiniketan

ARRIVES SHANTINIKETAN

Day Tour of Shantiniketan

Shantiniketan is a small town near Bolpur located 179 km north of Kolkata. Bolpur is the main train station for Shantiniketan. It comes under the district of Birbhum district of West Bengal. This place was made important by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who founded a Bramhacharya school here in 1901. The school was later expanded into a University called Visva Bharti after he received Nobel Prize in 1913.It was declared a central university in 1951. It has produced an alumni like Indira Gandhi (Former Prime Minister of India), Satyajit Ray (A great film maker) and Amartya Sen (a Nobel laureate and a world renowned Economist).

Shantiniketan was also called as Bhubandanga in past time. Santiniketan has the distinct identity of culture and heritage, which gives the place a unique soft touch. This is one of the prime attractions of the town. While driving down all the way from Kolkata, you also come across some interesting places enroute such as Singur, Bardhaman, Godda and Bolpur.

Top attractions of Shantiniketan

Tagore’s Ashram:

When you walk through the area, you will see the first building was actually a guest house built by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore (a father of Rabindranath Tagore) in 1863. It was named Shantiniketan. This entire place was later named after Shantiniketan. Numerous buildings here are associated with Tagores such as Shantiniketan, Nutan Bari, Dehali and Amra Kunj where school’s main functions are held.

Timings: It is closed on Wednesday

Chhatimtala:

It was used to be a meditation or prayer place under the Chhatim tree of Maharshi Devendranath Tagore.

Upasana Mandir:

It is basically a prayer hall where prayers are offered in the evening with the candles lit around the prayer Hall. It is made of several colored Belgium glasses with marble steps on all the four sides.

Uttarayan complex:

The complex has a well laid out garden houses various buildings associated with Rabindranath Tagore where he used to live, namely Udayan,Konark,Shyamli,Punascha and Udichi. Architecture of the buildings is worth seeing.

Timings: It is closed on Wednesday

Rabindra Bhaban Museum:

The museum called Bichitra houses Tagore’s original manuscripts, letter, documents, The Nobel Prize medallion, Plaques, Paintings, and Photographs etc. It was constructed in 1961.

Timings:
10.30AM to 4.30PM. It is closed on Wednesday.

Amar Kutir:

The place where all types of hadicrafts like cloth/leather batiks, handlooms etc. are available.
Arrives Shantiniketan. Start you sightseeing in and around Shantiniketan.