Shantiniketan: The Bard's Borough

Ah Santiniketan! The pride and paradise of Bengali art and literature, and a melting pot of diverse cultures, home to the world-famous Visva-Bharati University, established by none other than the Bard of Bengal, Kobiguru Rabindranath Thhakur (or Tagore, which is the anglicised surname). A Bengali like me could rant about him all day long, but I think we'd better get on with the travelogue.

It was a day trip planned on the spur of the moment. So, we got up early in the morning, brimming with excitement, and boarded the Vande Bharat Bhagalpur Express, which stops at Bolpur, Santiniketan. We reached Bolpur at 8:45 a.m. and were instantly hit by the scorching heat since the place was closer to the Tropic of Cancer than Kolkata is (I think this was the first time I put my geography knowledge to use!). The driver met us at the station, and we rode towards our first destination, the Kali Temple and Satipeethh of Kankalitala.

Now, one needs to have some knowledge of Indian mythology in order to understand the significance of Kankalitala. When Lord Shiva’s first wife, Goddess Sati, died, Shiva became so distraught with grief that he started dancing the Dance of Destruction (Tandav) with her body on his back. The universe would end if he didn't stop. It was then that Lord Vishnu took his Sudarshan Chakra and dismembered Goddess Sati’s body into 51 pieces. The pieces were scattered across the Indian subcontinent and became places of immense religious significance ('peethh'). Kankalitala is one such Satipeeth. It is believed that a piece of Sati’s waist had fallen into a pond beside the present-day temple. We offered our puja to the Goddess and continued to the Raipur Jomidar Bari.

Jomidars were estate owners in the Mughal and British eras in India, and they were well known for their lavish and ornate mansions. Well, the place we visited was mostly in ruins, but you could still tell that the house and property were enormous. I looked in awe. As I love visiting historical places, it was sort of my dream come true. I regret not knowing much about the history of this place, so if you want to look it up, please do and share an interesting fact in the comments.

Our next stop was Srijani Shilpagram, a small cluster of huts showcasing a plethora of Indian arts and crafts. Each hut was dedicated to one of the states of the Eastern part of India. We unfortunately could not see the entire complex since it was open-air and the sun was turning us into burned toast. But I must say I really liked the hut designated to the state of Orissa as it was painted intricately with Patta Chitra, an art form from the state. I also enjoyed the hut that was home to the puppets from different Indian states - my favourite was the shadow puppets from Andhra Pradesh, which were similar to those from Thailand.

To get some respite from the heat, we chugged a whole jar of Aampora Sharbat and then went ahead and had a sumptuous lunch.

With filled tummies and cooled down bodies, we had the energy to do some shopping in Amar Kutir, a flagship shop of the Amar Kutir Rural Development Society, which sells handmade clothes, jewellery and items of home décor. It is well known for leather products, and the entire first floor was filled with the aroma of brand new leather. We left with nearly three bags filled with our purchases, but still a little sad to be leaving!

But the sadness was soon replaced with joy as our next stop was the main Visva-Bharati Museum, located in one of the several houses of Rabindranath Tagore at the Visva-Bharati Campus. As we entered, we saw the famous taal gachh, which is said to have inspired one of Tagore’s famous Bengali poems for children, starting with the well-known lines: Taal gachh ek paye dNariye / shob gachh chhariye / uNki mare aakashe - how the palmyra tree, standing tall on its leg and dwarfing all others, reaches for the sky...

Beside the tree was the Upasana Griha, its walls made fully out of beautiful coloured glass panes. Then, we proceeded to the ticket counter and purchased our tickets to enter the museum. Shoes had to be taken off, and we were greeted by a blast from the air con like a boon sent from heaven. I excitedly went up to the first floor first, which had on display various items used and received by Rabi Thakur - his spectacles, pens, medicines, a kimono he wore in Japan, and an exquisite veena. The Nobel Prize he received was also on display; however, it was a replica since the actual Nobel Prize was stolen and never found.

The ground floor was probably a newly made section and housed a replica of the barge Tagore used in his early days to cruise the river Padma in East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh). Rabindrasangeet drifted into our ears as we entered the next room, which paid homage to the various distinguished female members of the Tagore household. The Tagore family was a well-known one in Kolkata, producing some of the geniuses of the literary and artistic world of Bengal and India, but this room also celebrated the often-overlooked women, who were brilliant in their own right.

After leaving the museum, we were again engulfed by the hot and dry air, but the shade of the numerous tall and beautiful trees surrounding the entire compound did shelter us. We went around to the back of the museum and came upon a vast open garden of sorts, dotted with several houses, each inspired by various forms of global architecture and each with a beautiful name. Entry into the houses is not permitted, but you can take a peek at the daily life led by the dwellers there. My personal favourite was the house named “Punascha”. It was a small house with large French windows on all sides, allowing sunlight to stream in. Just looking at the house made me happy and calm.

I ought to mention, one of the reasons why Shantiniketan is a jewel of Bengal is because it embraces global harmony, incorporating elements from various cultures from across the globe, creating its unique and distinct identity. One can see the Batik motifs from Indonesia on clothes sold here and specimens of ornate Japanese woodwork.

Our next and unfortunately (or fortunately?) the last stop was Shonajhuri Haat, a makeshift Saturday market of locally produced and crafted items. Shantiniketan is also a shopper’s paradise and my Maa was hellbent on proving that! The assortment of goods was jaw-dropping; it overwhelmed me.

With another three bags full of purchases, we proceeded to an unplanned last stop, a cosy and nice place called Café Kasahara. The cafe was named after a Japanese woodsmith who had been brought to Santiniketan by Tagore to teach woodwork to the students of Vishva-Bharati.

We left Shantiniketan with heavy hearts and heavy bags. I was in charge of the bags, which means I had to carry them all the way to Kolkata. A word of caution: if travelling with people with an inherent obsession with shopping, run away, or you might have to ultimately carry all the bags!

Advice while travelling/shopping:

I just thought this section would be an important addition.

1. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT visit Shantiniketan during the summer months, or you will be annihilated by the sun as we almost were. Visit during winter or spring if you can.

2. Tickets are either discounted or not required for students to enter museums and exhibitions, so if you are a student, please carry your ID.

3. If the vendors can sense that you are a clueless tourist, they will scam you and sell a 50-rupee item for double the price! If possible, accompany a local skilled in bargaining tactics. We Indians are master bargainers!

And then, just enjoy your visit!