...where modern masters were shaped

Abhilasha Ojha

A visit to Santiniketan, which was Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s attempt at redefining education and art in India, is like visiting a wonderland. When the leaves on the lush green trees — several of them planted by Tagore himself — sway to the morning breeze, it is easy to imagine that they are telling us the story of the bygone decades, of the land that was barren, arid and infertile when Tagore had first visited in the early 1900s. How he transformed this humble place is a remarkable story in itself. It is a story of his vision and his attempt at understanding nationalism that would include culture, art, aesthetics and education to empower Indians and allow them to shape their skills and expose their minds to world culture.

The best way to reach Santiniketan is to take a train from Kolkata to Bolpur, the town in Birbhum district where Santiniketan is situated. The journey takes approximately three hours, allowing one to thoroughly soak in the feel of Santiniketan. In the train there are musicians seeking alms while singing Rabindra Sangeet, vendors selling fruit, jhaalmudi, kulhad wali chai (tea in earthen pots) and leather knick-knacks… The journey’s energy is infectious and carries on when you reach Santiniketan, approximately 2km from Bolpur station.

While a visit to Upasana Ghar and Tagore’s heritage complex, which houses several smaller residences (some of them designed by the Nobel Laureate himself), is a must, it is important to understand Santiniketan through its art.

Credited for shaping some of the most important Indian modern masters, including Nandalal Bose, Benodebehari Mukherjee, Ramkinkar Baij and, of course, Rabindranath Tagore, the artistic vigour of Santiniketan lies in walking around Kala Bhavana, the fine arts department of Santiniketan. Spend time looking at the murals made by Mukherjee (his work is powerful in that he was a visually impaired artist, but continued reinventing himself despite his disability) and soak in the enigma of some of the most iconic public sculptures done by Baij that focused on the Santhal tribals.

Considered the first modern sculptor of Indian art, Baij’s sculptures are spread luxuriously on the campus of Kala Bhavana, invoking a sense of wonder and awe. There are others too: Black House (Kalo Bari) built in 1934, which was planned by Nandalal Bose, Surendranath Kar and Ramkinkar Baij; the black and white mural on the facade of the Design Department building in Kala Bhavana was made on top of another mural done by KG Subramanyan in the early 1990s. Similarly, there’s Silpa Sadan in Sriniketan, which was Tagore and Bose’s effort to create a resurgence of crafts that were always a part of Bengal’s rural life and economy.

The art at Santiniketan is a glimpse into what we know as Indian art today. The aim back then was to reject Abanindranath Tagore’s Bengal Revivalism and find art in the midst of nature, in everyday life, capturing vignettes of episodes of the Santhal tribals, their mannerisms, and their lives. While in Santiniketan, don’t miss Mukherjee’s richly constructed mural in China — or Cheena — Bhavanaa where the artist has showcased Natir Puja, structured like a Japanese screen, knitting together vignettes of campus life juxtaposed into a gestalt, which uses suggestion and innuendo. Then there’s the monumental 1947 mural at the Hindi Bhavanaa. Based on the lives of medieval Indian saints, this is hailed as one of the most ambitious murals of modern India. Eighty feet in length, spanning the upper half of a room and running across its three walls, it presents a dazzling vision of the Indian past, complete with teeming figures, with variously poised bodies and gestures to achieve a pulsating rhythm. Over a scrumptious breakfast of luchi-bhaaji (bread and curry), it is worth taking a tour of Boner Pukur Danga and other Santhal villages. Please bear in mind that the tribals don’t always like people taking their photographs. Respect their privacy while enjoying a glimpse of how they go about their day-to-day living.

For those of us from bustling Indian metros, it is a luxury to appreciate the slow-paced, quiet life of Santiniketan that brims with history, intellectualism and culture.