How To Reach Shantiniketan

Near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal lies the small town of Shantiniketan. A name that is woven into Bengali nostalgia and it continues to evoke myriad emotions among the people of the state and beyond. This is the place where Rabindranath Tagore created his dream seat of education which today has become the university town of Visa Bharati. An extremely popular tourist destination, Shantinektan is fairly well accessible from Kolkata.

A small town as it is, Shantiniketan does not have an airport of its own. The nearest airport was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum, Kolkata. As one of the most important airports in the eastern region of India, Kolkata enjoys superb connectivity with other cities of the country. Private and public carriers like Go Air, Indigo, Spicejet, and Indian Airlines operate regular flights between Kolkata and other cities. From the airport tourists can hire cabs to travel 200 km to reach Shantiniketan.

The easiest way to reach Shantiniketan is by train. The closest station is in Bolpur a mere 2-3 km from Shantiniketan. From Howrah and Sealdah Stations in Kolkata there are large number of trains running to and from Bolpur. Kanchanjunga Express, Rampurhat Sealdah Intercity Express, Satabdi Express, Shantiniketan Express, Darjeeling Mail, Padatik Express are some of the many trains that ply between Kolkata and Shantiniketan. Those traveling to Shantiniketan from other cities can reach Howrah or Sealdah and take a connecting train. From the Bolpur station tourists can take rickshaws or cabs to reach Shantiniketan.

Shantiniketan can be easily reached by road. In fact, it is another comfortable way to reach Shantiniketan. A 200 km and 3 hours journey through the countryside of Bengal is a pleasing experience. Shantiniketan is well connected by buses from cities like Durgapur, Kolkata and Guwahati in Assam and other neighboring towns. Taxis and private cars also take tourists to Shantiniketan on a regular basis. it is a pleasant drive and the fresh air of the countryside is extremely refreshing.

Moving around in Shantiniketan presents no problems at all. There are tourist cars and cycle rickshaws available easily and can be arranged by the hotels or guest houses where you are staying. Apart from these, bikes and cycles are also very popular. A small place as it is, one can cycle down and move around in a bike to visit the different tourist spots. Cycles and bikes are quite popular modes of transportation in Shantiniketan as girls and boys are seen cycling to schools and colleges. It is a nice way of exploring the small town.