Let’s talk facts here. Kolkata and Darjeeling are not the only two parts of West Bengal that are worth visiting. Out of all the places in India that one should not skip visiting is West Bengal. There is a completely different culture found here. Everything here is worth seeing and you won’t be disappointed. Out of all the beautiful places that this state has, Bolpur will attract you the most. Being the birthplace of the legend Rabindra Nath Tagore, it is the favourite of all literature lovers. You can get to know about him and his family by visiting this superbly calm and beautiful place. The vibes here will surely take you to the era is cherished even today. Taking a journey here in Bolpur is nothing short of an eye opener and gaining of an insight. But it is not just that. The many places to visit in Bolpur add on to the excitement.
Top 9 Places To Visit In Bolpur
Here is a list of tourist places in Bolpur where you can head to on your vacation. From ashrams to mela, you will find several places to explore. So, keep scrolling and check them out!
1. Khoai Mela: Shop Your Heart Out
2. Upasna Ghar: Visit The Amazing Prayer Hall
3. Tagore’s Ashram: Get The Glimpse Of His Life
4. Poush Mela: Relive The Childhood Days
5. Chhatimtala: Perfect Meditation Spot
6. Kankalitala: Explore The Place On Cycle
7. Uttarayan Complex: Go Down The Lane Of Tagore
8. Amar Kutir: The Local Art And Craft Center
9. Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Deer Park: An Encounter With The Wild
1. Khoai Mela: Shop Your Heart Out
Image Credit: footlooseforever
Khoai Mela is a very popular fair in Santiniketan. People from far away places and even foreign tourists flock in huge numbers to visit this fair. The fair is organised under the sky in the shade of trees and is one of the best places to visit in Bolpur. Artists of various kinds attend this fair, setting their stalls on the ground. There is a wide variety of handmade goods that you can get here ranging from hand made notebooks to earrings and clothes for men and women to multiple toys made of forest products for the kids. You can also get a wide range of home decor items made from forest products here. Apart from these, different varieties of furniture made from bamboo are available here. If you get tired of shopping then you can try out the local delicacies which are sold here like Pati Sapta and Mishti Doi. This fair happens only on Saturdays.
Location: Prantik
Entry fee: Free
Timings: 2 PM – 6 PM
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2. Upasna Ghar: Visit The Amazing Prayer Hall
The Upasna Ghar or the prayer hall is situated on the Campus of Visva Bharati University. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Bolpur. Upasna Ghar is made from Belgian Glass. It is such m 21 la beautiful building that will leave you awestruck with its beauty. Upasna Ghae is popularly known as Kanch Mandir because its walls are made up of glass along with marble steps build on each side making it one of the most beautiful places to visit in Bolpur. Visitors are allowed to see the building, but only from the outside every day of the week except for Wednesday. It was made by the father of Rabindranath Tagore in the year 1863. Services are offered in the evening during which candles are lit all around the prayer hall. At this period, the building is engulfed in the flickering light of the candles and the view that one gets is truly amazing. The prayer hall is surrounded by gardens from all sides. These well-maintained gardens keep blooming with colorful flowers.
Location: Visva Bharati University Campus
Entry fee: Free
Timings: Always open but visit preferably in the morning.
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3. Tagore’s Ashram: Get The Glimpse Of His Life
This place is said to be the abode of Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore. Several tourists visit this place which is actually one of the most famous places to visit in Bolpur. and you should not miss the opportunity to see this. It will give you a glimpse into the life of Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore. This place was built in the year 1863 by the father of Rabindranath Tagore. His name was Maharishi Devendranath Tagore. This is one heritage site that has been very well preserved by the authorities. This place has preserved the memories of Rabindranath Tagore in various forms. It has preserved his literary works along with the items used by him daily. Apart from these, this place has most of the awards and the accolades that were won by Rabindranath Tagore. This place gives a detailed view of Rabindranath Tagore’s life with various kinds of information regarding his life.
Location: Near Santiniketan Sub Post office.
Entry fee: INR 40
Timings: Summers: 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM,
7:30 AM – 11:00 AM during Summer and Puja Vacations (May-June and September-October); Winters: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM, (Closed on Wednesdays)
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4. Poush Mela: Relive The Childhood Days
Poush Mela is organized every year because at this time Maharshi Devendranath Tagore had adopted the Brahmo. It is organised every year on the 7th day of the month of Poush and is one of the most famous places to visit in Bolpur. The fair spreads over a large piece of land. People from all around the country and even a lot of foreigners too, visit this place. The widely popular fair sports a huge number of shops selling a wide variety of items ranging from hand-printed clothes to home decor items and artificial jewelry to articles made from forest products. Along with a lot of options for shopping, this place has a long list of delicacies to offer. From international food chains like Dominos to the popular local delicacies you can get a wide range of items to satiate your hunger. For people who love shopping this place is shopping heaven. All the products sold here are available at a very reasonable price.
Location: Santiniketan Road
Entry fee: Free
Timings: Morning to evening.
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5. Chhatimtala: Perfect Meditation Spot
This place is a very popular tourist place in West Bengal. It is said that the Father of Rabindranath Tagore, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore used this place as his meditation spot. Maharshi Debendranath Tagore was a very great scholar which makes it one of the historical places to visit in Bolpur. He used to believe in the idea of mediation as well as introspection. According to him, these two things are the key to a person’s success. Students of the university look at this place in very high regard. Students here are emotionally connected to this place as the graduates of the university are awarded a branch of the Saptaparni tree which can be seen in Chhatimtala. The prayer hall too is not very far away and is located nearby. This particular place is considered very sacred by the students of the University.
Location: Visva Bharati University Campus
Entry fee: Free
Timings: Always open, but visit in the morning.
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6. Kankalitala: Explore The Place On Cycle
This highly sacred temple is situated at a distance of nearly 7 kilometers from the town of Shantiniketan and is one of the most popular places to visit in Bolpur. You can drive up here or if you prefer you can get here by cycling. Cycling is very popular in this part of India. A large population of people prefers to cycle to work or study here. The journey up to this place is soothing both to the eyes and the soul. There are villages that you will have to cross and there are fields that you will see. You will get to witness the beauty of semi-rural India on your way here. There is a small temple here when you reach the place. This place is said to have high scared value in the hearts of the people who live here or visit here. You can plan a trip to Kankalital on a pleasant day with your family if you want to. You’re sure to have a good time. It is one of the fifty-one Shakti Peeths in India. According to mythological facts, the skeleton of Sati Devi is said to have fallen here.
Location: 7 km from Santiniketan.
Entry fee: Free
Timings: Morning to Evening
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7. Uttarayan Complex: Go Down The Lane Of Tagore
This complex will take you down to the memory lane of Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore. One place amongst these, which is very popular is Udayan. This is the place where Rabindranath Tagore used to stay. This building is heritage. The best part about this is that the authorities have maintained it quite well. Some other places which you should visit are Shyamali or popularly named mud hut. You can also visit other places such as Punasha as well as Udichi. These places are surrounded by gardens and adding to the fun is the fact that Rabindra Bhawan Museum is nearby. Rabindranath Tagore used to live in one house or another out of these. Sculptors of Ramkinkar Baij have been moved there during this period. This is one of the most popular places to see in Bolpur.
You can’t carry a camera or a hand recorder here.
Location: Near Chhatimtala
Entry fee: Free
Timings: Morning to Evening
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8. Amar Kutir: The Local Art And Craft Center
Image Credit: Biswarup Ganguly for Wikimedia Commons
Amar Kutir played an eminent part in the Independence Movement in India. The activists of the Independence Movement stayed at Amir Kutir in 1922. Today Amar Kutir is a cooperative society where local art and crafts are promoted. If you are like collecting art and craft articles made by people to promote local art then Amir Kutir is the perfect place for you. This society is one of the best tourist places in Bolpur where you can buy handmade articles like Kantha stitched saris, batik work items, leather goods, and bamboo crafts. If you are passionate about shopping then you should not miss out on this place on your vacation. Amar Kutir is one of the places to visit in West Bengal as it is known for its cause of promoting local art and giving employment opportunities to women.
Location: Bolpur Suri Road, Ballavpur; Sriniketan, Amarkutir Society Rd, Ballavpur, West Bengal
Entry fee: Free
Timings: Morning to Evening
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9. Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Deer Park: An Encounter With The Wild
Image Credit: Hegdejai for Wikimedia Commons
Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Deer Park is an excellent spot for all the wildlife lovers who are thinking about visiting places in Bolpur where they can witness the wild side of the city. Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Deer Park is home to Deers, birds, jackals, and foxes. This place also has three water bodies that you should definitely visit on your vacation. Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Deer Park is well-known for the Blackbucks and Spotted Deer that can be easily spotted while exploring it. This wildlife sanctuary is an amazing spot for your next weekend getaway. It is situated in Bolpur and is spread across an area of 200 hectares. Get ready for a thrilling outing in the beautiful city of Bolpur. Do take your cameras to capture the wild animals on it!
Location: Bolpur, West Bengal
Entry fee: NA
Timings: 10 Am – 4 Pm
Further Read: 25 Amazing Wildlife Sanctuaries In India
So, these are some of the best places to visit in Bolpur and to know more about Gurudev Ravindra Nath Tagore. So, with this, we have covered some of the major places of Bolpur. Apart from that, you can also go to the place where Indira Gandhi used to live. As she completed her studies from Visva Bharati, people have preserved her memories too. The place is very calm and peaceful and will help you in coming out of the city chaos. If you want to spend some quality time with nature, art, history and yourself, then take a trip to West Bengal and have fun.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Places To Visit In Bolpur
What is the best time to visit Shantiniketan?
The best time to visit Shantiniketan is during the winter and monsoon season i.e between July and February, the temperature during these months is usually pleasant which is ideal for visiting around and exploring places. However, April to June which is also the summer season there, is not a recommended time to travel as the temperature during these months is quite high, making it difficult to travel around.
Which are some of the good temples in Bolpur?
There are some really good and popular temples in Bolpur. One of the most popular ones is Kankalitala. Apart from that, you can visit Tarapith, which is not in Bolpur but is near to it. It is not only popular in Bolpur or Kolkata but the entire country.
Is it safe to visit Shantiniketan, given the covid situation?
Yes, it is safe to visit Shantiniketan, given that you follow all guidelines and take all the necessary precautions. Make sure to get yourself vaccinated before planning a trip, also wear masks at all times, maintain social distance in public places and sanitize your hands regularly.
How many days are enough for Shantiniketan?
Ideally, you need about 3 days to visit Shantiniketan and cover all the major places. You can easily explore all the major sightseeing points like Prakitibhavan, Amar kutir, Kopai River, Kalikapur Rajbari, Ghursia, Fossil Park, Raipur Rajbari, Surul Rajbari and much more in this duration of 3 days.
Are there any good museums in Bolpur?
Yes, there are good museums in Bolpur. Two of the most popular ones are Tagore’s ashram and the Ravindra Bhavan museum. These two museums have very different collection from each other. The first one contains things that belong to Ravindra Nath Tagore and his family. The other one has Tagore’s original manuscripts, letters, documents, paintings, certificates, and photographs. So, you can get to know a lot about Gurudev, just by visiting these two places.
What are the major attractions of Bolpur?
Some of the best places in Bolpur are the Visva Bharati University, Ravindra Bhavan, Chattimtala, Kala Bhavan and many more. Apart from that, you can enjoy the tribal mela that this place hosts every weekend and every year in December.
Which are the places related to Ravindra Nath Tagore in Bolpur?
Bolpur is the birthplace of Ravindra Nath Tagore. So, all the things that are specific and worth visiting are related to him only. Even the university that you see there was established by him. If you want to know about Ravindra Nath Tagore in detail, there is not any better place than Bolpur.
Can we see traditional fairs in colour?
Yes, Bolpur majorly hosts two traditional fairs, where the tribal people from the nearby area come and sell the products that are all made by hand. One is the Khoi mela which is held there every weekend. The other one is the Posh mela, which you can enjoy every year in December. It is generally held in the last week of December.
What are the things that could be bought from the fairs in Bolpur?
You can buy any handcrafted item from the fairs that are held in Bolpur. It could be a clothing piece, a bag, a storage piece or any other thing for that matter.
Are we allowed to visit the campus of Visva Bharti?
Yes, you can go inside the campus of Visva Bharati University in the daytime. It is open to visitors.
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Exploring new places and trying out new food cuisines are two things that bring Seema all the happiness. Travel freak and a die-hard foodie are the synonyms that define her the best. Popular on social media by the name of ‘PandaReviewz’, lazing around the beaches, exploiting the sunset points, visiting the farthermost villages, exploring the renowned cities, trying out new food cuisines, and blogging about them are few things that keep Seema occupied, and happy!
