SHANTINIKETAN
- ART & CULTURE
News:
Why Santiniketan’s iconic
Poush Mela is not making a return this year
What's
in the news?
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The iconic Poush Mela remains within reach
and yet beyond grasp of innumerable Bengalis, for whom the annual fair at Santiniketan
in West Bengal’s Birbhum district has evolved into a pilgrimage of sorts, what
with the poet Rabindranath Tagore, the greatest icon of the community, at its
centre.
Key
takeaways:
●
Santiniketan,
a town established by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in West Bengal's
Birbhum district, has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.
●
This recognition highlights its cultural
and historical significance on a global scale.
Foundation
of Visva-Bharati University:
●
Santiniketan is the place where
Rabindranath Tagore laid the foundations of Visva-Bharati University, which is
known for its unique approach to education,
emphasizing art & culture and the integration of human values.
India's
41st World Heritage Site:
●
Santiniketan's inclusion on the UNESCO
list makes it India's 41st World Heritage Site, showcasing the rich cultural
and historical diversity of the country.
Go
back to basics:
Santiniketan:
●
Santiniketan is a renowned cultural and educational hub
located in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India.
●
It holds a special place in Indian history
and culture due to its association with Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel laureate poet, philosopher, and polymath.
●
Santiniketan translates to "Abode of Peace" and was
founded by Tagore as an experiment in education and art, which continues to
influence generations of artists, scholars and thinkers.
●
Under his guidance, Santiniketan developed
into a unique educational and cultural institution.
Visva-Bharati
University:
●
In
1921, Rabindranath Tagore established Visva-Bharati University within
Santiniketan.
●
It
aimed to promote the ideals of a universal, non-sectarian and holistic
education system.
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Visva-Bharati remains a prestigious
institution known for its emphasis on the arts, literature and social sciences.
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The university comprises various schools,
including Shantiniketan (the core campus), Sriniketan (its rural reconstruction
center) and several institutes and departments dedicated to diverse
disciplines.