Echoes of Shantiniketan: A Journey of Inspiration, Discovery and Heritage A Meaningful Experiential Learning through a Field Trip to Santiniketan

Some places do not merely exist-they breathe, sing, and embrace those seeking them. On the 21st and 22nd of March 2025, the fourth-semester students of the Department of B.Ed., Loreto College, embarked on a journey to Santiniketan to visit and feel its soul. Accompanied by Dr. Kaustuva Banerjee and Dr. Suparna Ghosh, we carried within us the quiet longing to learn-not from books, but from the land, the sky, and the whispers of history.

The train ride from Sealdah was filled with anticipation, the rhythm of the wheels mirroring the pulse of excitement in our hearts. When we arrived, rain draped the earth in a soft hush, as if blessing our arrival. At the University Museum, time unfolded before us-Tagore's handwritten letters, his glasses, the car he once drove-each relic carried a weight of memory, a silent echo of the man who reshaped Indian education. Our visit to Surul Rajbari revealed a different yet significant connection to Tagore's legacy. This grand estate, belonging to the Sarkar family, holds a deep historical significance. The family played a crucial role in the establishment of Visva-Bharati University, a testament to the collaboration between Tagore and patrons who believed in his vision of education. Walking through its corridors, one could sense the echoes of Bengal's rich past, where tradition and modernity intertwined.

But Santiniketan was not just about history; it was a living philosophy. As we walked through the Sonajhuri forest, the leaves rustled beneath our feet, the trees stood tall like silent sages, and the open sky stretched endlessly above us. The air itself seemed to hum with forgotten verses. By the Kopai River, a student danced to 'Sokatore Oi', the breeze lifting the notes, the birds joining in. For a moment, we were one-with nature, with history, with something far greater than ourselves. At Sonajhuri Haat, amidst handcrafted treasures, Baul singers wove their melodies into the evening air, their songs rich with longing and freedom. Artisans, young and old, shared their creations-woven, carved, painted-each a testament to patience and skill.

It was in the quiet conversations with toto drivers that we truly understood Santiniketan's essence. Their voices carried the wisdom of those who had grown up surrounded by Tagore's dreams, reminding us that education is not just about facts, but about feeling, experiencing, and belonging.

Beyond the places we visited, beyond the lessons in history and heritage, we carried home something intangible-a deeper understanding of learning itself. Education was not confined to four walls; it flowed like a river, it took root in the soil, it whispered through poetry and song. Tagore's vision of an education intertwined with nature and creativity was no longer an abstract idea-it was something we had touched, something that had touched us in return.

As we left Santiniketan, we did not just take memories; we carried its essence within us, a quiet reminder that to teach is not merely to instruct, but to awaken—to light a flame that will never fade.