Santiniketan and Sonajhuri Haat

Santiniketan, near Bolpur in Birbhum district, West Bengal, is the university town founded around the school established by Rabindranath Tagore, and lies about 160 km north-west of Kolkata. The most practical route is a Howrah to Bolpur express train, which takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours and costs ₹150-800 depending on class; a taxi takes 3.5 to 4 hours and costs ₹4,500-6,500. Morning express trains from Howrah, leaving around 6 to 7 am, reach Bolpur before 10 am. The Visva-Bharati campus is the heart of the visit, and its Uttarayan complex contains several Tagore residences and the Rabindra Bhavana museum, which holds his manuscripts and belongings. Kala Bhavana, the art school associated with Nandalal Bose and other noted artists, adds murals and sculpture around the campus. Visitors should check opening hours in advance, since the museum and some campus areas close on certain days and the hours are restricted. Cycle rickshaws are the traditional way of moving between sites and are inexpensive. Lunch can be taken at one of the small cafes and Bengali restaurants in Bolpur and Santiniketan. In the afternoon on Saturdays, the Sonajhuri Haat, a weekly market under the sal and acacia trees at Khoai, offers tribal crafts, Baul songs, Dokra metal figures, batik and leather goods. Haggling is expected. The market is a good place to buy souvenirs, and live Baul music is often heard. Poush Mela, held in December, is the area's biggest fair and draws huge crowds, making accommodation hard to find. October to March is the best season; summer is hot and dry, and the monsoon brings rain. A return train in the early evening gets visitors back to Kolkata by night. Because the journey is long, many travellers prefer an overnight stay, but a day trip is possible with an early start. Costs of ₹800-3,000 per person cover train fares, rickshaws, entry fees and food.