Shantiniketan, Kolkata

The land of rich culture, tradition, exquisite beauty,festivals and more famously known as the “city of joy” is Kolkata.

Kolkata is located on the eastern side of the country. It is a place where intellectuals like Rabindranath Tagore,Amartya Sen and Sri Aurobindo, fighter like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, poet like Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.

Kolkata was the capital city of India, during the rule of the British East India Company. It is also known to the the “land of Goddess Kali” and the much known “Durga Puja” marks the epitome of the Bengalis.

Shantiniketan is a small town in Bolpur at Birbhum district in West Bengal around 180 kms from Kolkata.

This place is extremely important as its the house to the fanous “Visva Bharati University”, founded by Rabindranath Tagore.

What to see

Shatiniketan is a major tourist attractions for all those who visit Kolkata. This is because the famous noble laureate Rabindranath lived here and wrote some of his major works.

The Visva Bharati in Shantiniketan is the huge campus which almost takes an entire day to go around. Also you can have a chit chat session with the students and the professors there. The place reminds you of the 70’s.

Another main attraction of the place is the Tarakeshwar Mandir (temple of Goddess Kali). This is a temple that has been around the place for almost centuries. Devotees from as far as Bangalore and Pondicherry come here to offer their prayers.

A day tour takes you around the sorrounding places. You can spend some time at “Ganga Sagar”, which is around 150 kms from Shantiniketan. It is the starting point of the Bay of Bengal and the famous “Ganga Sagar Mela” (fair) is held there every year.

Another great event, which forms a part of Shantiniketan every year in the month of December is the “Poush Mela”. Tourists come from different places to attend the poush mela every year. This mela (fair) has a religious significance to it. It is believed among the Bengalis (natives of Bengal) that no weddings should be held during the month of “Poush”. So, amazingly, the colorful city looks dry and shabby during the month of December(which is the month of Poush).

Accommodation

Shantiniketan has many government guest houses there. Also, you can enjoy your stay at the resorts which are run by the West Bengal Tourism. These are the best places to stay in Shantiniketan since you can opt for the guided tour which is offered by the resort.

How to reach the place

Daily bus services are available from Kolkata. Also, if you want, you can book a taxi from Kolkata and drive upto the place.