Shantiniketan: A Short Insight

The serene air of the place is the one of the many elements that is sure to touch one's heart and bones, the essence of peace follows next. It is known as ‘ a pilgrimage destination for all literature lovers‘ ; a place Rabindranath Tagore has done justice to, by naming it Shantiniketan. It is a small town near Bolpur, in Birbhum district of West Bengal. The Viswa Bharati University in itself is a world of it's own , providing the talented souls with one of the best possible educational curriculum in India. The sanctity of the place is something so pure and authentic that a smile of satisfaction appears on a visitor every time they visit the place.

Near the town, with the beautiful Kash phool bushes along the banks of the river Kopai holds a certain kind of magic that can hypnotize one to forget all worries and make the presence offorehead wrinkles invaluable. And Khoai with all it's red hue seems to dance along the 'madal’ beats and 'baul’ songs with the setting of the famous 'Shonajurir haat’ amidst the ‘ saal ‘ forest that embellish the place.Handmade clothes, handcrafted jewelleries and showpieces adorn the small shops set up mainly by the local people of this area. The 'adivasis’ from nearby places also accumulate here to showcase their traditions and cultures through music and dance. Kankalitala ( a burning ghat ) being an important part of Shantiniketan, holds interesting stories too.

But the place is suffering,it is slowly getting infected. Many factors like commercialism, urbanisation, etc., is contaminating the authenticity of Shantiniketan. They are affecting the lifestyle of the people which is having a huge toll on the native culture of the place.

Shantiniketan is all the more beautiful because of the simplicity and inclusivity it is up rooted within. A literature enthusiast or not, a person visiting Shantiniketan, will forever leave an imprint on his/her mind and soul.