A 2-6 days of tour in and around Santiniketan is recommended.
In case of 2 days tour, its better to stay at any hotel in Santiniketan. There are plenty of good hotels and home-stays there catering to a wide range of taste and budget. If time permits, other than the university, one can check out Baul Akhra of Rina Das Baul or Rabi Das Baul, Shola artist’s place (https://sholacraft.com/) or Kantha artists place in Nanoor.
In case of 4-6 days tour, we propose an experiential tour in and around Santiniketan covering People, Heritage, Nature and Culture.
Self searching is the essence of Baul music, which reflects the joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. They urge people to rise above the divides created by caste, creed and religion to find peace and spread love. To know more about Baul, one may read http://contactbase.blogspot.com/2023/07/preserving-bauls-of-bengal-for-21st.html . After working with about 3000 Baul Fakirs for over 18 years, we developed a Baul Ashram at Bannabagram (in Ausgram near Guskara/ 20 KM from Santiniketan) for people to experience Baul music where Bauls from various Akhras across Bengal come on regular basis). Interested ones may like to stay here https://youtu.be/bDszMrMb4RE?si=FekmP5S21ti9PAnk and visit Santiniketan also.
Both Ausgram (where the Ashram is located) and Nanoor (20 Km from Santiniketan) are known for the intrinsic Kantha embroidery work. Kantha, led by women, is unique in its ethnicity, traditional appeal and contemporary allure. It is a form of an expression, narrates a story through the stitches https://youtu.be/X40L8-NcJbQZ.
Another possible place of visit is Joydev-Kenduli, located on the banks of River Ajay. The village is the birthplace of poet Joydev, who wrote the famous Sanskrit poem Geet Govinda in the 12th century. The place is famous for hosting one of the oldest and biggest Baul mela during 15th Jan (Makar Sankranti).
Tepantar Eco Theatre resort https://www.tepantar.co.in/– The space, located amidst rural serenity, is a good destination to enjoy theatre with usage of local props. For them, theatre is not just an art form but a way of life. This place provides visitors the opportunity to interact with theatre practitioners and co-create plays with them, located 30 minutes away from Santiniketan.
