M. S. KALANDAROVA Candidate of Historical Sciences R. Tagore Keywords:, Shantiniketan, Vishva Bharati "I chose a very beautiful area, which is far from the infecting influence of the big city. I know that young minds always love nature, their mother. For this purpose, I chose an open place, with a clear sky that freely flows into the soul of a person. In such an environment, he can easily create his own visions and live them. All the colors of the season, which are so rich, could easily enter the soul. " 1 This is what Rabindranath Tagore, a poet and artist, founder of the Vishva Bharati International University, whose 150th anniversary the world community will celebrate on May 9, 2011, told students and teachers of Moscow universities in September 1930. THE BIRTH OF SHANTINIKETAN Shantiniketan is a famous university town located 158 km northwest of Kolkata. A three-hour train ride allowed us to get acquainted, to a certain extent, with this part of the state of West Bengal2. Endless green fields watered by lakes and ponds; Indian farmers working under the scorching sun; short stations selling food, souvenirs, newspapers and magazines; children begging for alms; singers entertaining passengers. The birth of Shantineketan (formerly called Bhubandanga) is due to the poet's father, Debendranath, one of the leaders of the Bengali Renaissance. According to one of the legends, the maharishi (holy sage), returning one day by boat from a trip to Raipur, saw a landscape that struck him with its beauty. The meadows, the lush greenery of tallow trees and date palms, and the silence of the surrounding countryside enchanted him. In 1860, the maharishi bought a huge plot of land in Bolpur (Birbhum district) and over the next 40 years built an ashram**, oratories and a residential building, which he named Shantiniketan, which means "abode of peace"in Sanskrit. Over time, this name has spread to the entire territory. Shantiniketan has become a symbol of freedom and peace. Here, und ... Read more