Santiniketan Tourism: Hotels, Reviews, Packages, Photos, Maps, Experience, Itinerary

Recognised as one of India's most prestigious centres for higher education, the small university town of Santiniketan is situated about 180 km north of Kolkata. It primarily came into prominence when the Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, founded the university, known as Visva Bharati, here in 1921. Today, its vast campus grounds, open-air classes and tranquil atmosphere attract hundreds of visitors, as does the fact that Rabindranath penned several of his literary classics on these very grounds. Interestingly, Santiniketan, which means 'abode of peace,' was initially named after a local dacoit and known as Bhubandanga. This was changed by the Tagore family, who owned the town, and subsequently Rabindranath's father established an ashram here, inviting people from all over the world for meditation and prayers. Soon after, Rabindranath opened a school and then a university here, which were modelled on the gurukul system of education and promoted learning in a natural setting.