Santiniketan Griha (শান্তিনিকেতন গৃহ)

Built by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore in 1863, this was the first building to have come up and is believed to have inspired the name -Shantiniketan for the campus. Rabindranath first came here when he was of 12 years old. Several poems from his Noble prize-winning Gitanjali were composed here.

Visitors are not allowed and the complex is generally closed

'Santiniketan Bhavan' (শান্তিনিকেতন ভবন) is the oldest building of Santiniketan Ashram. Maharshi Debendranath Tagore built this house in 1864. This building was originally a single-storied house, later it became a two-storied house. Inscribed on the roof of the house is 'Satyatma Pranaramam Mana Anandam' (সত‍্যাত্মা প্রাণারামং মন আনন্দং), a quote from Maharshi Debendranath Tagore's favorite Upanishad (উপনিষদ). He himself used to sit in meditation on the first floor of the house. His followers have also come and stayed here. Rabindranath Tagore stayed here for a while when he went to the Himalayas with his father as a teenager. Rabindranath lived in this house with his family for some time even during the establishment of Brahmacharya Vidyalaya (ব্রহ্মচর্য বিদ‍্যালয়). He never again used it as a homestead. Now in front of the house is an abstract sculpture by Ramkinkar Baij. Near the Santiniketan building is a dune shaped earthen mound. Maharshi used to watch sunrise and sunset from here. Once there was a pond under this hill.

One of the best place inside Shantiniketan to spend time and learn about Tagore's work and his principle of inclusiveness.

Santiniketan Griha is the first building at Shantiniketan. The house was built by the great Maharshi Devendranath Tagore for prayer. The building was named as Shantiniketan. Afterwards, the surrounding area was known as Shantiniketan after the name of this particular building. Previously, the area was known as Bhuban Danga. Rabindranath came to stay in this house at the age of 12 years and even continued to stay after his marriage, till he moved to a new house. Santiniketan Griha is the house where most poems of Tagore's 'Gitanjali' were composed. At present it is a heritage building.

It is a 'upasana griha' /prayer hall of the students of Bishwa Bharati University. The prayer is performed every wednesday- as Rabindranath Tagore maintained wednesday as holiday. On other days this hall remains closed. This hall is not accessible to outsiders of the campus. One would have to see it from outside.

শান্তিনিকেতন গৃহ!
শান্তিনিকেতন এর প্রাণকেন্দ্র বলা চলে। এটি জোড়াসাঁকোর ঠাকুরবাড়ির অনুকরণে তৈরী এটি। ১৮৬৩ খৃষ্টাব্দে মহর্ষি দেবেন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর যখন রায়পুরের জমিদারের কাছ থেকে ২০ বিঘা জমি মৌরুসি পাট্টা নেন, তখন তাঁর আত্মীয় পরিজনেরা এখানে এসে ঈশ্বর উপাসনার জন্য এই বাড়িটি তৈরী করা করান।

রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর তার উপনয়নের পর যখন ১২ বছর বয়সে প্রথম এখানে আসেন, তখন তিনি এই বাড়িতেই থাকতে শুরু করেন। পরবর্তী কালে ৪০ বছর বয়সে যখন পাকাাপকিভাবে শান্তিনিকেতন এ বসবাস করতে শুরু করেন তখনও এই বাড়িতেই থাকতেন।
বর্তমানে এটি হেরিটেজ বিল্ডিং।

এই বাড়িটির সামনেই প্রখ্যাত ভাস্কর রামকিঙ্কর বেজ এর একটি শিল্পকীর্তি আছে। যা "অনির্বাণ শিখা" নামে পরিচিত। যার অর্থ হলো - এক জননী শান্তিনিকেতন কে শিশুরূপে কোলে তুলে ঈশ্বরের নিকট তাঁর মঙ্গল কামনা করছেন। সকাল ও বিকালে রোদের ছায়া লম্বভাবে পড়লে এটা স্পষ্ট বোঝা যায়।

This is the oldest house made by Maharshi Devendra Nath Tagore. It was bult in about 1863-64 (আনুমানিক ১২৬৯-৭০ বঙ্গাব্দ). It is just beside Chatimtala. In childhood when Rabindranath Tagore first came bolpur, he stayed here. He came here 14th February, 1870 (৪ঠা ফাল্গুন, ১২৭৯ বঙ্গাব্দ). After that it was the guest house of Shantiniketan for so many years. It is also known as Shantiniketan Griha (শান্তিনিকেতন গৃহ). In just front of this house there is a beautiful statue named Anirban Sikha (অনির্বাণ শিখা), which was made by famous Indian architect Ramkinkar Baeij (রামকিঙ্কর বেইজ).