birbhum

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Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district and known for its peculiar landscape, topography and cultural heritage. While it forms a part of lush green Chota Nagpur Plateau on the west, the region gradually merges with the fertile alluvial farmlands in the east. Several rivers including Ajay, Mayurakshi, Kopai, Bakreshwar, Brahmani, Dwarka, Hinglo, and Bansloi flow across Birbhum. Historically, the district has seen many cultural and religious movements. Birbhum, often called The land of the red soil Lalbhumi , is also the land of the brave . It is believed that it has been inhabited since the prehistoric times owing to the discovery of chalcolithic remains and tools. Some Jain and Buddhist texts infer that the land of Birbhum has been traversed by Tirthankara Mahavira and Gautam Buddha. Furthermore, Birbhum has been ruled by several great kings of Maurya empire, Guptas, Shashanka, Harshvardhana, Palas, and even Sena dynasty. Remnants of civilizations add profound historical importance to place. The district headquarters is Suri. Bolpur-Shantiniketan, Nanor, Joydev-Kenduli, Bakreswar and Nalhati are the principal sites of attraction here. The Visva Bharati University at Shantiniketan, established by Rabindranath Tagore, is one of the internationally renowned places. Many festivals are celebrated in this culturally rich district including the Poush Mela, Basanta Utsav, Kenduli Mela etc. Trapaith and Bakreswar are other famous attractions of Birbhum.

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Shantiniketan

Shantiniketan

Shantiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal and about 212 kms north of Kolkata. In 1862, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, the poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore s father, while on a boat journey to Raipur, came across a landscape with red soil and lush green paddy fields. He decided to plant more saplings and built a small house. He called his home Shantiniketan, the abode of peace. He founded an Ashram here in 1863 and became the initiator of the Brahmo Samaj. Shantiniketan was later expanded by Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town Visva-Bharati University. The place now attracts thousands of visitors each year. A certain portion of Bolpur right across Shantiniketan was a part of the zamindari of the Sinha family of Raipur. Bhuban Mohan Sinha had developed it as a small village and named it Bhubadganga. Bhubadganga used to be a den of a gang of notorious dacoits and murderers. Construction of Santiniketan led to a situation of conflict and confrontation multiple times, but ultimately, the leader of the gang joined forces with Debendranath and started helping him in developing the area. In 1901, Rabindranath started a Brahmacharya Ashram, which was later called Patha Bhavana. In 1921, he founded the Visva Bharati University, which was declared to be a central university and an institute of national importance in 1951.

Poush Mela

Poush Mela

Poush Mela is the most remarkable annual fair of Birbhum district and is celebrated with great pomp and splendor at the Shantiniketan Mela Grounds to mark the foundation day of Shantiniketan. It emanates the essence of the great Bengali culture and attracts visitors from all around the world. The fair takes place for a week and lights up the entire region vigorously with Baul musicians, Tribal dancers and local village artists. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush, the carnival like setting marks the beginning of the harvest season.