Categories: Travel Guide

A Complete Travel Guide To Shantiniketan 2022 (With Photos)

A Little Background

Santiniketan is a small town in Birbhum District, West Bengal, around 165Km away from Kolkata(The Capital of West Bengal). Rabindranath Tagore wanted to make Santiniketan as a university town and he did it.

In 1862, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore, passing from this area, which he found to be very peaceful. He renamed it Shantiniketan, previously Shantiniketan was called Bhubandanga.

In 1863 Debendranath Tagore founded an ‘Ashram‘ here. In the year 1901, Rabindranath Tagore established his dream of the open air school. It was named ‘Patha Bhavana‘ and started with only 5 students. Later on, In 1921, this school was expanded and form the famous Vishva Bharati University. This transformation happed few years after Tagore received the first non-European Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

Best time to visit Santiniketan

April to June: Shantiniketan experiences extreme heat at this time. It’s Better to avoid Shantiniketan at this time. Temperature cross 40*C at this time. if you are planning to come at this time, don’t forget to carry sunglasses, hats, water bottles and wear light cotton.

July to September: This time Shantiniketan receives moderate rainfall. the temperature is quite pleasant this time. It’s a good time to explore Shantiniketan and witness the greenery beauty of the Shantiniketan. don’t forget to carry an umbrella, raincoat, and appropriate footwear.

October to February: Winter season is the best time to visit Shantiniketan. The temperature ranges from 13*C to 29*C. the weather remains pleasantly cool all through the day. make sure your bookings are done in advance and don’t forget to carry warm clothes.

Avoid Wednesday, because On Wednesday most of the places are closed in Shantiniketan.

How to reach Santiniketan

Air: Santiniketan does not have its airport. The nearest airport was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum, Kolkata, which is around 165km from Santiniketan. From the airport, travelers can avail of cab service to reach Santiniketan.
Travelers can also take a bus or train to reach Santiniketan.

Train: The train is the most convenient way to reach Santiniketan. There are many daily trains available from Kolkata. Take trains from Howrah Junction/Sealdah to Bolbur, which is 3 km away from Santiniketan. From the Bolpur station, you can take rickshaws to reach Shantiniketan. From Kolkata, it will take approximately 3 hours to reach Bolpour.

Bus: It is another comfortable way to reach Bolpur. Buses will take 3 hr to reach Bolpour from Kolkata. From Kolkata(Esplanade), you will find buses for Bolpur.
Bolpur is around 3km away from Shantiniketan. From the Bolpur, you can take rickshaws to reach Shantiniketan.

Day by day plan

Day 1 | Starting Point Kolkata

  • Try reaching around 11 AM and checked into your hotel.
  • Booking a local Toto for side seen is the most pocket friendly option.
  • Visit Bangladesh Bhavan (closed on Wednesday and Thursday) which is around 2.1 km away from the Santiniketan main city.
  • Visit Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Deer Park (closed on Wednesday) which is around 3.9km away from Bangladesh Bhavan.
  • Visit Srijani Shilpagram which is around 2km away from Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary.
Srijani Shilpagram
  • Have your Launch (Recommended to have authentic Bengali food).
  • Visit Visva-Bharati campus , Visva-Bharati Museums , Kala Bhavan.
  • Don’t remove the Visva-Bharati campus, Visva-Bharati Museums, Kala Bhavan from your Santiniketan checklist. It’s a must visit place.

Day 2 | Exploring Shantiniketan

  • Visit Kankalitala Mandir in the early morning. it’s one of the most visited religious places in Shantiniketan.
  • Have your breakfast.
  • Visit Kopai River, which is around 5 km away from the Kankalitala Mandir.
Kopai River
  • Visit Biswa Bangla Haat, which is around 9 km away from the Kopai River.
  • Visit Sonajhuri Haat, which is around 2 km away from the Biswa Bangla Haat. it’s the best place for shopping.
  • Visit Prakriti Bhavan, which is around 1 km away from Sonajhuri Haat.
  • Visit 34 feet Buddha Statue, is just 400 meter from Prakriti Bhavan.
34 Feet Buddha Statue
  • Visit Amar Kutir Society, which is around 3 km away from the Buddha statue.
  • Visit Amar Kutir Eco Tourism Park.

Day 3 | Back to Kolkata

  • Visit Geetanjali Rail Museum (closed on Wednesday), which opposite the Bolpur rail station.
  • Back to Kolkata

Where to stay in Shantiniketan

Homestay and resorts are easily available in Shantiniketan.

If you are looking for a peaceful environment, then you can try Prokriti Bon Bungalow.

  • OYO Rooms are also available here, you can try
  • OYO 37034 Dreamz Khoyai Resort
  • OYO 30449 Green Chilli

If you are looking for a resort, then Ram Shyam Village Resort is a good option for you.

Budget travelers can try

all these hotels are at a good location and service is also good.

Famous Foods

  • For authentic Bengali food, try Bonolakshmi (you have to place an order 1day pioneer or the same day before 8 AM).
  • Try Ram Shyam Restaurant for authentic Bengali food(Recommended Desi Chicken).
  • For Snacks, try Kasahara – The Cafe, they offer delicious food.
  • For continental food, try Nola Food Boutique.
  • You can also try Aarhani Restaurant, Ghare Baire Restaurant.

Must Have Travel Accessories:

  1. Rucksack option 1
  2. Rucksack option 2
  3. Neck pillow option 1
  4. Neck pillow option 2
  5. Neck pillow with eye mask option 1
  6. Reusable filter water bottle option 1
  7. Power bank option 1
  8. Power bank option 2
  9. Anti Theft Backpack with USB Charging Port option 1

Related More Amazing Travel Blogs:-

  1. A Complete Travel Guide To Dooars
  2. A Complete Travel Guide To Coorg
  3. A Complete Travel Guide To Shimla
  4. A Complete Travel Guide To Delhi
  5. A Complete Travel Guide To Mysore

MAKE SURE TO CLEAN AND GREEN OUR NATURE.

Shrinjoy Saha

I am Shrinjoy Saha, a very warm welcome to my blog - Travel Bong. Professionally I am a software developer and I haven't quit my job to travel the world. At every opportunity, I pack my bag and travel. The vision of my blog is to help travelers, backpackers & tourists with travel plans. In my blog, I try to give all the necessary information.

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