2023-06-20 08:38:02
The last note ended with the train waiting from Howrah to Santiniketan. The centenary has arrived just in time. In normal train sleeper it is 90 rupees but in Janashtabdi it is more than 500 rupees. It is a comfortable car. Food will be delivered following a certain distance. The passengers had drawn the curtains as it was scorching hot outside. That’s why I mightn’t see the outside view from the side seat. The train reached Bolpur Santiniketan station in just one and a half hours.
As soon as they came out, they were surrounded by e-rickshaw totkers. The WhatsApp group related to the conference had specific instructions on how to handle them and how much to pay, so there was no argument. Other researchers from the university have also come to participate in the conference. Friend Athira had arrived two days ago. Athira lives in the Alex Reed house in the campus. Since they came as a family, they decided to stay in a hotel outside. Athira had told me that it was a decent mid-range hotel. He told me to leave the rickshaw straight to the hotel. Probably because it was late followingnoon, the streets were not crowded. But if office hours and school hours coincide, there will be heavy traffic. After reaching the hotel, I saw the room, there was no such facility, and I decided to return to Kolkata tomorrow if I might present my paper on the first day of the conference. Therefore, I thought I would be satisfied with the comfort for one night.
Calcutta Journey, Picture : Rathi Narayanan
After taking a bath and drinking tea, he went outside. Santiniketan has many historical buildings and museums to visit. It would take a whole day to visit all the important places around the campus. Those who have time can explore on foot. Or rely on Toto to get to all the important places. There will be no time to walk around. Depend on Toto himself. Bengali is the main language but Hindi is common here. But the accent of the Malayalees will confuse the Bengalis. Similarly their Hindi sometimes surrounds us. After crossing the gate to Santiniketan, the rickshaw puller stopped at all the important points and started explaining its significance. Before talking regarding it, we need to know something regarding Santiniketan.
Calcutta Journey, Picture : Rathi Narayanan
Santiniketan is named following Rabindranath Tagore, but in fact his father Debendranath Tagore named his holiday home as Santiniketan. Maharshi Debendranath Tagore was a person who played a major role in the Indian Renaissance culture. Tagore later chose Santiniketan, his favorite place where he spent his childhood vacations with his father, as a celibate monastery. In 1901, Tagore started the first school in Santiniketan with five students. He was taking the students out of the classroom and into nature with a different concept of learning and teaching on tree steps. Today, Vishwabharati University at Santiniketan is a world-renowned center of international learning. Another article would have to be written to describe the academic tradition and culture of Santiniketan.
Calcutta Journey, Picture : Rathi Narayanan
Tagore built the temple of Shantiniketanam, which is seen today, on what used to be barren land. There is a serenity that lives up to the name everywhere in this holy land. A completely spiritual atmosphere without any noise or fuss. Only eco-friendly vehicles are allowed in the campus. It is the land sought by poets, musicians, actors, writers and spiritual pilgrims alike. Eight decades following Tagore’s departure, there is something here that makes his presence felt anywhere.
The rickshaw puller stops at certain places and explains the importance of that place. I might understand if I listened to pure Hindi, but I might not understand what he was saying. He pointed out Almarachuvad, one of Tagore’s favorite places to write. As a part of the maintenance, the lighting given to Sandhya in the evening was giving an ethereal charm to that banyan tree. When I looked at the deserted steps of that wada tree, I felt only sadness in my mind. As it was dusk, he decided to go back. After presenting the paper in the morning, decided to come here once more and left for the hotel.
Calcutta Journey, Picture : Rathi Narayanan
When he first visited Santiniketan, he was not interested in university matters. But this time the trip was academic so the entire first day was spent in the university campus. It seems that there are no subjects which are not taught in this campus like art, literature, science and fine arts. Each is separated into individual blocks. It was five o’clock in the evening following the conference opening and paper presentation at the university. All the visitor centers have been closed. The plan to go to Kolkata also went wrong. Went to the hotel and went for a walk on the street.
One side of the lane is full of cloth vendors. The main attraction here is the beautiful Santiniketan kurtas. If you pay two or three hundred rupees, you will get a flawless kurta. Stitched in thin cotton fabric. There are also fabrics for women. I didn’t buy it because I felt that none of it was of great quality. When I was hungry following wandering around, I didn’t go looking for a big hotel. I bought food from the side of the street which I thought was clean. The food is made right in front of your eyes, believe me. It seems that every Bengali meal has aubergine, paneer and yam. Puri is the staple in all shops. Wherever you go, you will get the same. The poori and paneer masala were delicious and I woke up to the meal without any disappointment.
Calcutta Journey, Picture : Rathi Narayanan
On the third day in Santiniketan, we came down to see the museum and other things, but we had to be disappointed. Visitors were not allowed that day as it was a holiday related to Tagore. It was a great disappointment to miss the sight and hearing of Tagore’s own voice at the Tagore Museum. Many items including pen, coat and shoes used by Tagore are kept safely in the museum. I was surprised to see it last time. This type of furniture can also be found in his birthplace in Kolkata.
There are many historical centers here like Chatim Thala where Rabindranath Tagore took classes, Prayer Hall Brahmo Mandir, Shantiniketan House built by Debendranath Tagore and where Tagore lived, traditional classrooms of Santiniketan. There are others such as art house, path house, nature house etc. Among these are the buildings built by Tagore for the dignitaries who were with him. It was also seen that the car he was using was kept without a single dust. Today’s Shantiniketan can be said to have the signatures of Debendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore and his son Rathinidranath Tagore. Along with Tagore there are two more names that Santiniketan reminds us of. Renowned sculptor Ramkinkar Baiji and modern artist Nandalal Bose. Ram Kinkar’s sculptures and Patha Bhavan designed and built by Nandalal Bose evoke the greatness of these geniuses. Both of them came to Santiniketan out of respect for Tagore.
Anyway, I have booked the followingnoon train to Kolkata. I knew that I would not have time to roam around here, so I decided to visit the Deer Park near Shantiniket. On his way there, he saw Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s house. He wondered if the two people who brought the Nobel Prize to India were neighbors. But immediately he realized that Santiniketan saw Amartya Sen as an intruder. There was a huge crowd in front of his house including police and media. Let’s talk regarding that in the next post.
Content Summary : Kolkata, a city with a rich history and culture, dating back to the 17th century travelogue.
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