The little town of Santiniketan, located in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Rabindranath Tagore, the recipient of the Nobel Prize, lived a significant portion of his life here.
About Santiniketan
- Santiniketan is a well-known cultural and heritage attraction in West Bengal, India, with a long history. It is located in the Birbhum District.
- Due to its connection to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, it has gained popularity.
Significance of Santiniketan
- Santiniketan served as Rabindranath Tagore’s home, where he not only lived but also produced many creative works, including songs, poems, and novels.
- Beautiful sculptures, frescoes, murals, and paintings by renowned painters like Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar, Binodbehari Mukhopadhyay, and others adorn the Santiniketan campus.
- Cultural Festivals: Santiniketan is in the larger Birbhum District, which hosts lively fairs and festivals. Poush Mela (December), Joydev Mela (January), Basanta Utsav (Holi) in March, and the legendary mystic Baul Singers are noteworthy festivities.
- Unusual Events: Rabindra Janmotsav, or the anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth, is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout Bengali New Year at Santiniketan, as well as during the Bengali month of Boisakh.
- Unique Festivals: On the 22nd and 23rd days of Sravana (August), respectively, the region celebrates unique festivals like Briksharopan (the Festival of Planting Saplings) and Halakarshan (the Festival of Plowing the Fields). Varshamangal, the festival of the showers, is also observed in August and September.
- Poush Mela: Beginning on the seventh day of the Poush month, Santiniketan conducts the yearly Poush Mela. While the event is only supposed to last three days, vendors can stay longer. Live performances of Bengali folk music and tribal dances like Santali are highlights of the festival, which is well-known for both.
West Bengal’s Presence on the World Heritage List
- The second cultural icon from West Bengal to be added to the prestigious UNESCO list is Santiniketan.
- To highlight the rich cultural history of West Bengal, UNESCO inscribed “Durga Puja in Kolkata” to its list of Intangible Cultural history of Humanity in 2021.
