Tagore’s Santiniketan Becomes A UNESCO World Heritage Site

NEW DELHI (ANI) – Santiniketan, the town in West Bengal, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list during the 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia on September 17.

Established in 1901 by poet and philosopher Tagore, Santiniketan was a residential school and center for art based on ancient Indian traditions and a vision of the unity of humanity transcending religious and cultural boundaries.

A ‘world university’ was established at Santiniketan in 1921, recognizing the unity of humanity or Visva Bharati.

Distinct from the prevailing British colonial architectural orientations of the early 20th century and of European modernism, Santiniketan represents approaches toward pan-Asian modernity, drawing on ancient, medieval, and folk traditions from across the region.

India has been striving for a long to get a UNESCO tag for this cultural site located in the Birbhum district.The announcement left Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee elated. “Glad and proud that our Santiniketan, the town of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is now finally included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Biswa Bangla’s pride, Santiniketan was nurtured by the poet and has been supported by people of Bengal over the generations. We from the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to its infrastructure in the last 12 years and the world now recognizes the glory of the heritage place. Kudos to all who love Bengal, Tagore, and his messages of fraternity. Jai Bangla, Pranam to Gurudev,” she posted.