Shantiniketan

Tourists visiting Kolkata in West Bengal can take their time out to visit Shantiniketan . Vacation to Shantiniketan can be an enjoyable experience. In 1863 Debendra nath Tagore set up an ashram in Shantiniketan. Here Rabindranath had also established a school in 1901. This place has developed to a popular tourist spot in West Bengal.

Reaching Shantiniketan from Kolkata

The distance of Shantiniketan in Bolpur is 136 km from the city of Calcutta. Tourists can take a tour from Kolkata to Shantiniketan by availing railway or roadway. Visitors can take train from the Howrah Station in Kolkata to reach Shantiniketan. After reaching Bolpur station, cycle rikshaw is to be hired to reach Shantiniketan, which is located only 2 km away. If tourists wish to go to Shantiniketan by roadway, then he can take buses from Kolkata.

There is no specific time to plan a tour to Shantiniketan from Calcutta. The summer months experience about 34 degree to 38 degree Celsius of temperature. During winter the temperature varies between 12 and 15 degree Celsius. August and July months experience heavy shower in Shantiniketan.

Tourists to Shantiniketan can seek accommodation at the lodges maintained by the Tourism Department of West Bengal Government. They can book the tourist lodges or guesthouses in advance. There is a youth hostel in Bolpur, which offers accommodation. Tourists can also book rooms at the tourist cottages.

The guesthouse, maintained by Visva Bharati, can also be booked by tourists in Shantiniketan.

From Shantiniketan tourists can arrange short excursions to nearby places. They can go to Kankalitala which is located 9 km away from Shantiniketan. The distance of Sriniketan from Shantiniketan is about 3 km. Deer Park lying only 4 km away can also be visited. Trip to Nonoor can be made which is situated at a distance of 18 km from Shantiniketan.

Tourists can visit the Visva Bharati University and the open-air school of Visva Bharati in Shantiniketan. The residential complexes of the Tagore family in Shantiniketan should be visited by tourists. They are Konarka, Udayana, Udichi, Shamali and Punassha.

Fairs Held at Shantiniketan

Tourists in Shantiniketan can attend the different fairs if they visit the place when the fairs are organized. Poush mela in particular attracts tourists from all parts of West Bengal. It is held in the month of December. Some of the popular festivals organized at Shantiniketan are