Santiniketan

Why is in news? PM expresses happiness on Santiniketan being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Santiniketan, a town established by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, made it to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

It is located in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, Santiniketan, which means “abode of peace”, started taking shape in 1901 and is the place where Tagore laid the foundations of Visva-Bharati University.

Santiniketan becomes India’s 41st World Heritage Site to join the UNESCO List.

The dossier by the Culture Ministry proposing Santiniketan’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List points out that the “place exhibits an important interchange in human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town planning or landscape design”.

Attempts to get Santiniketan inscribed on the World Heritage List have been going on since 2010.

Initially, it started as an ashram (hermitage) founded by Rabindra Nath Tagore’s father, Debendranath Tagore, but eventually developed into a centre of art, culture, and learning.

It is known for its unique educational philosophy, which emphasizes the integration of nature, creativity, and holistic learning. It follows the concept of an open-air classroom where students are encouraged to learn in close connection with nature.

Santiniketan is also adorned with splendid sculptures, frescoes, murals, and paintings created by renowned artists such as Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose (one of the pioneers of modern Indian art) and Ramkinkar Baij (master sculptor and painter) among others.

It is significant for its cultural and heritage place, associated with Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore