Visva-Bharati: Tagore’s timeless influence
Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, where he built Visva-Bharati a century ago, is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. To mark the momentous occasion, let’s recognise some notable alumni who once walked the corridors of the esteemed institute
Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s homely abode, Santiniketan in West Bengal, where his open-air university, Visva-Bharati is located, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inscription was awarded at the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee (2023) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, Durga Puja was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List of intangible cultural heritage.
“Established in rural West Bengal in 1901 by the renowned poet and philosopher Rabindranath 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 a pan-Asian modernity, drawing on ancient, medieval and folk traditions from across the region,” the UNESCO World Heritage Convention page reads.
Tagore’s Visva-Bharati or Santiniketan, which means ‘the communion of the world with India’ was declared a central university in 1951. The unique learning abode has an illustrious list of alumni. On the occasion of Tagore’s Santiniketan making it to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, we list the notable alumni of Visva-Bharati.
Ramkinkar Baij: Called the ‘Father of Modern Indian sculpture’, Bankura-born Baij joined Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan as a student of fine arts. After finishing his studies at Kala Bhavana, Baij joined the faculty alongside Nandalal Bose and Benode Behari Mukherjee and collectively made Santiniketan the leading hub for modern art in pre-Independence India. “Coming to Shantiniketan, I have seen so many things…I have learnt to look at life,” Baij had once said. Later, the great sculptor and artist was conferred Padma Bhushan, Desikottama by Visva Bharati and D Litt by Rabindra Bharati University.
Santidev Ghosh: Son of Kalimohan Ghosh, Santidev was brought to Santinketan when he was six months old. A student at the Santiniketan Vidyalaya, it didn’t take long for Santidev (he was initially named Santimoy and later Tagore changed his name) to develop a keen interest in music, dance and acting. In 1930, he joined Visva-Bharati as a teacher. He was head of Sangeet Bhavana from 1964 to 1968 and from 1971 to 1973. An exponent of Rabindra Sangeet, he taught various students, including Pramita Mallick and Suchitra Mitra, who went on to become notable singers.
Indira Gandhi: It was the Bard who named her Priyadarshini. Though Indira Gandhi, the first female Prime Minister of India, studied in Santiniketan just for a year (1934-1935), she always acknowledged the deep influence the centre of learning had on her. “I think what I learnt most at Santiniketan was the ability to live quietly within myself, no matter what was happening outside,” she had said. She left Santiniketan after her mother fell ill in Europe and continued her education at the University of Oxford.
Satyajit Ray: City-bred Satyajit Ray had to finally give in to his mother’s wish, who wanted him to study at Tagore-founded Visva-Bharati in Santiniketan. However, at Santiniketan, Ray discovered his love for oriental arts, Indian sculpture, miniature painting, Japanese woodcuts and Chinese landscapes. So profound was Benode Behari Mukherjee’s influence on Ray, who won an honorary Oscar in 1992, that he made a documentary on his teacher, titled ‘The Inner Eye’. Ray wrote letters to his mother while living in Santiniketan. These letters offered a glimpse into his life there and the teachings of the great masters.
Amartya Sen: It was Tagore who gave him his name. Born in 1933 in Santiniketan, Sen, another Nobel Prize recipient, began his school education at St Gregory’s School in Dhaka in 1940. In 1941, he was admitted to Patha Bhavana in Santiniketan, where he completed his school education. Sen’s maternal grandfather Kshitimohan Sen was invited by Tagore to join the Brahmacharyasrama in 1908. Later, he became the Principal of Vidya Bhavana and Visva-Bharati. For a brief period, he was also the Vice-Chancellor of Visva-Bharati.
