Shantiniketan @ West Bengal

Shantiniketan ("Abode of Peace") began as a meditation centre founded and endowed in 1863 by Maharishi Debendranath, the father of the Nobel laureate Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, who, in turn, established the Brahmo Vidyalaya (school) and in 1901 another open-air laboratory school. By 1921 the latter had expanded into Vishva Bharti University, which sought a basis for a common fellowship between the cultures of East and West. A residential university with an international student body, hostels, and extensive grounds, it includes colleges for fine arts and crafts, Sino-Indian studies, music and dance, research in Asian languages, teacher training, technology, and postgraduate studies and research. Rabindra-Sadana is the university's museum and academy for the study of Tagore. The town also contains Udayana, Tagore's residence. Another Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen, studied at Shantiniketan, as did Satyajit Ray and Indira Gandhi. At nearby Sriniketan is an institution founded in 1922 by Tagore and an associate that is concerned with rural reconstruction, health, social welfare, and the revival of ancient arts and handicrafts. Many outstanding Indian painters have studied there.Â

in the Birbhum District is a land of red soil with lush green paddy fields. The main attraction of this place remains because of its association with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), one of Bengal’s greatest figures. Of course the natural charm of Santiniketan is a major draw in itself. Nature has bestowed her splendour through the lavish greenery everywhere. Truly as the name suggested by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore (RabindranathaTagore’s father) it is the ‘abode of peace’. Home at Santiniketan would surely mean a peaceful residential neighbourhood amidst the natural beauty all around. Santiniketan is also home to Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel Prize winner in Economics.

History :Shantiniketan was previously called Bhubandanga (named after Bhuban Dakat, a local dacoit).  Devendranath Thakur, father of Dwijendranath, visited the place in 1861 and found it very peaceful, suitable for meditation and other Aradhana purpose. He purchased 20 bighas of land of Bhubandanga village from Singha family of Roypur under Bolpur Mouja in 1863 and renamed it as Shantiniketan, which means 'abode of peace' . He  used to visit the place occasionally and took Rabindranath there for the first time in 1873 and stayed for some time, enroute to Dalhouse.

the weather in Shantiniketan is usually a peasant one although one might come across the changes of weather in summer, winter and rainy season. Nonetheless spring has its own charm, not only because of its natural beauty blooming to its fullest amidst the lush greenary but also due to the famous Vasanta utsab held to mark the festival of Holi with the on set of spring..