Holi, celebrated with great enthusiasm as “Boshonto Utshob” in Shantiniketan is also known as Basant Utsav or Dol Purnima in the state of West Bengal. The culture of celebrating of Vasantotsav or the Spring Festival was started by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at the Rabindra Bharati University. The festivities take place a day earlier than Holi and the celebrations are now considered an important part of the Bengali heritage.

Tourists from all over the globe arrive every year at the Shantiniketan to witness and take part in the merriment, which unlike the rest of the country are elegant and intensifying. Cheerful boys and girls welcome the spring season not only with the colors but also sing beautiful songs and perform graceful dances (tunes of Tagore’s songs – Rabindra sangeet & Rabindra nritya) that become the show stoppers of the event. It is a grand sight every year for Tagore lovers. The celebrations of Basant Utsav take place with the ultimate grace and dignity with the enchanting hymns and mantras in the peaceful ambiance of Shantiniketan. Don’t miss a chance to witness this elegant way of celebrating Holi or the Basant Utsav in West Bengal.