SHANTINIKETAN AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Recently, Santiniketan, a town located in Birbhum district of West Bengal, was included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Shantiniketan is the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Earlier India has 32 Cultural Heritage Sites, 7 Natural Heritage Sites & 1 Mixed)
Plan to include Shantiniketan was ongoing since 2010.
ABOUT SHANTINIKETAN
Historical Significance: In 1862, Rabindranath Tagore’s father, Debendranath Tagore, spotted this scenic landscape and decided to establish an ashram, building a house called Santiniketan, meaning “abode of peace”.
Etymology: The area, originally called Bhubandanga, was renamed Santiniketan by Debendranath Tagore due to its conducive environment for meditation.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore established a school based on the Brahmacharya Ashram model. This school later evolved into Visva Bharati University.
THE PROPOSAL: The Ministry of Culture proposed Santiniketan for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, emphasising its importance in human values, architecture, arts, town planning, and landscape design.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been involved in the restoration of several structures in Santiniketan, preserving its historical and cultural heritage.
