Shantiniketan
- Also spelled:
- Śantiniketan
- Key People:
- Amartya Sen
Shantiniketan, former town, north-central West Bengal state, India. Established in 1863, it is now part of the town of Bolpur in Birbhum district and is about 100 miles (160 km) by road from the city of Kolkata. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023.
History
Did You Know?
Bhubandanga, named for local bandit Bhuban Dakat, was an area overwhelmed by dacoits (armed thiefs, usually part of a group). Debendranath Tagore persuaded them to abandon crime and instead help in the development of Shantiniketan.
Indian philosopher and religious reformer Debendranath Tagore founded Shantiniketan (from Sanskrit meaning “the abode of peace”) in an expanse of barren land with two imposing blackboard trees (Alstonia scholaris; also called devil’s trees or, locally in Bengali, chhatim trees). This area was called Bhubandanga when Tagore leased it; he renamed it Shantiniketan and, envisioning the place as a seat of meditation, established an ashram (a spiritual retreat) there. Tagore’s chosen spot for meditation under the chhatim trees is now known as Chhatimtala. The Bengali polymath and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Debendranath Tagore’s son, later expanded the ashram and developed Shantiniketan.
Making of a university
Rabindranath Tagore conceived plans to transform the town into a seat of learning that would kindle curiosity and open-mindedness among students, nurture creativity and a kinship with nature, and encourage an amalgamation of ideas from the world over. In 1901 he founded a school called Brahmacharyashrama, which initially had only five students. Based on the principle of the ancient gurukul (“house of the teacher”) system of India, the school followed practices such as conducting open-air classes and fostering a harmonious student-teacher relationship. Renamed Patha Bhavana in 1925, the school is still functioning with the same foundational values.
In 1921 Tagore established the Visva-Bharati University, which sought a basis for fellowship between Eastern and Western cultures. Incorporated in 1951, this residential university has an international student body, hostels, and extensive grounds. It includes separate colleges for various subjects, including the sciences, liberal arts, fine arts and crafts, Sino-Indian studies, music and dance, Asian languages, teacher training, technology, and postgraduate studies and research.
Some Notable Alumni
- Economist Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winner
- Film director Satyajit Ray, honorary Academy Award recipient
- Artist Ramkinkar Baij, Padma Bhushan awardee
- Writer Mahasweta Devi, Padma Vibhushan awardee
- Singer Kanika Bandyopadhyaya, Padma Shri awardee
- Dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai, Padma Bhushan awardee
Fine arts
Tagore wanted fine arts to be as important as other academic disciplines in Shantiniketan. Kala Bhavana (“Art Building”), the academy of arts, was established in 1919, and Tagore invited Nandalal Bose, a pioneer of modern art in India, to helm it. Various styles of music and dance are taught at Sangit Bhavana (“Music Building”), which was established as part of Kala Bhavana but separated in 1933.
A few miles from Shantiniketan, Tagore set up the Institute of Rural Reconstruction in 1922, at a site he named Sriniketan. Aimed at empowering villagers to solve local problems, Sriniketan not only focused on agricultural education, health, and social welfare but also sought to boost traditional crafts and cottage industries such as pottery, leatherworking, batik printing, and woodworking.
Heritage buildings and key sites
Did You Know?
Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi stayed in the mud house Shyamali during his visit to Shantiniketan.
Shantiniketan is home to several buildings of historical and cultural significance. Debendranath Tagore built the Shantiniketan Griha (griha meaning “home”) and the Upasana Griha (“Prayer Home”), a meditation center with walls of multicolored Belgian glass and a roof of terra-cotta tiles. Part of Kala Bhavana, Kalo Bari (“Black House”) was conceptualized by Nandalal Bose and a few other artists. Made with mud and coal tar, it has murals on its black exterior walls. Rabindranath Tagore constructed and lived in seven houses in Shantiniketan. Among these, Dehali (“Door Frame”) and Natun Bari (“New House”) were the first to be built. The remaining five—Konarka (named for the site of the Sun Temple in Odisha state), Udayana (“Rising”), Shyamali (“Dusky”), Punashcha (“Postscript”), and Udichi (“One Who Grows with Prosperity”)—were built later within a complex called Uttarayana. The complex also houses the museum Rabindra Bhavana.
The Kopai River flows through Shantiniketan and is the subject of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “Amader Chhoto Nodi” (“Our Little River”). Close to the river is the Sonajhuri (“Drops of Gold”) Forest in the Khoai region (an area of small canyons). On Saturdays Sonajhuri hosts the Sonajhuri Haat, an open-air market where local artisans sell their wares, Baul (folk art form) singers perform, and members of the local Santhal ethnic group showcase their dance and music. Also by the Kopai River is Amar Kutir (“My Cottage”), which was set up by Indian nationalist Sushen Mukherjee as a safe haven for revolutionaries of the Indian Independence Movement with a cottage industry to sustain them. It functions today as a cooperative promoting local crafts.
Festivals
Shantiniketan is known for a number of festivals celebrated annually. Among these, Poush Mela (Poush, or Paush, is the 10th month of the Hindu calendar, and mela means “fair”), Basanta Utsav (“Spring Festival”), and Barsha Mangal Utsav (“Monsoon Festival”) are the most popular. Poush Mela, held in December, is usually a three-day fair that showcases Bengali food, folk art, crafts, and music. Basanta Utsav coincides with Holi and is celebrated with song, dance, and abir or gulal (Holi colors in powder form). Barsha Mangal Utsav welcomes the rainy season with music, dance, and poetry.