West Bengal’s Santiniketan makes it to UNESCO World Heritage list

Established in 1901 by poet and philosopher Tagore, Santiniketan was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions

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 Sunday, said UNESCO in a social media post on “X”. 

“BREAKING! New inscription on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Santiniketan, #India. Congratulations!” the UNESCO wrote on X (formally Twitter) on Sunday.

Established in 1901 by poet and philosopher Tagore, Santiniketan was a residential school and centre 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, recognising 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 had been striving for a long to get a UNESCO tag for this cultural site located in the Birbhum district.

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday informed that the Shantiniketan in West Bengal’s Birbhum district has been recommended for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list by The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

In this regard, he took to Twitter and said, “Great news for India on the Jayanti of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Santiniketan, West Bengal has been recommended for inscription to the World Heritage List by ICOMOS, the advisory body to UNESCO World Heritage Centre”.

Shantiniketan is a town in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. Visva Bharati University lies in Shantiniketan. The place now attracts thousands of visitors each year. (ANI) 

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