We left for the sacred land founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore by train accompanied by Ant R, her mother and her cousin. “So near to the hustle bustle of the city, yet far from the madding crowd” is the only way I can describe Shanti Niketan, a mere 3hour journey from Calcutta. The place still feels like how it may have been during Gurudev’s times which was during the independence era. Small, quaint and charming, Shanti Niketan draws you to its fold, slowly enveloping you in its warm embrace. Dusty roads, cycle rickshaws, tiny stores selling essentials, rows of terracotta and artefact stalls and cute cottages with small gardens in front lend this place its aesthetic beauty. We stayed in once such pretty cottage called Bon Pullock which means blooming flowers.
But its identity sure comes from the Viswabharati University set up by Gurudev. Vast acres of land adorned with banyan trees are reminiscent of the time when girls studied here in open air. For those unaware, Shanti Niketan boasted of being the first open air school for girls at a time when education for women was looked down upon. A litterateur, a poet, a social worker and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was a man way ahead of his times. His contribution to Bengali literature and music is still evident when you hear strains of Rabindra Sangeet or quote verses from ‘Gitanjali’. The University has expanded from being just a school for girls. Today it has incorporated various streams of fine & performing arts like architecture, music, dance, sculpting and painting to name a few. This is visible through various sculptures installed across the university and murals & charcoal sketches on various faculty buildings all created by the students themselves.
As the University and various museums were shut due to Pujo, we didn’t get to see a lot of work that is otherwise displayed. However while taking a walk in the haloed precincts of the university, we chanced upon an art exhibition by artist Prof. Selim Munshi at Niharika Art Gallery. Prof. Selim has painted the landscapes of old Shanti Niketan on the exact spots themselves. Many of the then spots are now either modified or demolished. Apart from water and oil colour paintings, the artist had also put graphics, sketches and sculptures on display. The works displayed were simply awesome that depicted the Shanti Niketan of yore. While meandering aimlessly we also chanced upon the ancestral home of Nobel Peace Prize winner Amartya Sen apart from the house of Gurudev’s wife, which is now being used as a room for prayers and yoga to keep the mind, body and soul intact.
From here we visited Shyamolie (meaning black beauty), a cluster of houses with granite sculptures engraved on the walls. The sculptures were truly breath taking as each of them depicted figures in various dance poses. We drank in the finesse of the sculptures and marvelled at the artistic talents with hungry eyes yet we couldn’t have enough of them. A befitting gift to an Alma Mater committed to enhancing artistic pursuits. Not just the university, but even while walking, one comes across small huts that double up as art galleries probably displaying works by students or novices who may not have the means for a grand exhibition.
Another interesting place we visited was Srijani Shilpagram that hosted models of country life in the states surrounding West Bengal comprising Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Orissa. For someone who has visited only Sikkim out of the entire list, I was fascinated by the models. The jewelery, the pots n pans, clothes, structure of homes was so captivating that each model transported me to those states amidst the natives. Then entrance too was a huge terracotta structure with intricate carvings all over it. It was extremely painful to tear ourselves away from the place.
As with every tourist, there was a comedy of errors that happened with us too. Our return train was at 7.30am but Ant R mistook it for 19.30. We spent the whole day roaming in the lush countryside, shopping for terracotta artefacts, famed Shanti Niketan bags and batik & kanthawork sarees. Thank God for Ant R’s mother who happened to (like all mothers) goad her daughter to recheck the timings, coach number and other details that Ant R let out a gasp at the faux pas. She and her cousin hurried to the station to check for a later train or one early next morning but to no avail. Since it was past 8pm, everything was dark and it was unsafe to undertake the journey as the route was via the highway. Eventually it was decided that we leave at the crack of dawn the next day and accordingly booked a cab. In this entire milieu I was plagued by mild panic attacks as next day I was to fly back to Bombay in the afternoon and I still had some more things to do and see. Well since the damage couldn’t be undone, we passed the night and next morning set off to Calcutta reaching home by about 9am.
However something in me just didn’t want to leave as I could feel the invisible hands tugging at my heart strings beseeching me to not forsake it for the city life. Never before have I ever experienced such belonging to any place and I was shocked at my own silent tears that kept my eyes misty for the entire 3 odd hours. Never before have I turned back forlornly with a promise to return. I have to keep my promise and hopefully someday I will go back (hopefully as an accomplished Odissi dancer).
The whole experience was purely magical and in every grain, every granule of mud, every drop of water and every whiff of air you find Gurudev’s presence overlooking his beautiful Shanti Niketan.
no shades of grey 
