Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan

Visva-Bharati

Founded by the first non-European Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Thākur(popularly known as Tagore) in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared to be A Central University and "An Institution of National Importance" by an Act of Parliament in 1951. It was granted the status of a unitary, teaching and residential university. The motto of Visva-Bharati is "Yatra Viśvam Bhavatyekanīḍam" (Sanskrit), which means "where the world makes a home in a single nest".

The President of India is the Paridarsaka (Visitor) of the University, the Governor of West Bengal is the Pradhana (Rector), and the Prime Minister of India acts as the Acharya (Chancellor). The President of India appoints the Upacharya (Vice-chancellor) of the University.

In 2023, Santiniketan, its main campus, has received the UNESCO World Heritage inscription to become the world's first living heritage university.

Visva-Bharati is located about 170 km by road from Kolkata in the twin towns of Santiniketan and Sriniketan, in the district of Birbhum, West Bengal. The nearest railway station is Bolpur (Santiniketan) on the Eastern Railway, the domestic air terminal is Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, Durgapur and the international air terminal is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. The institute's buildings and departments are scattered among the two towns.

The university is divided into institutes, centres, departments and schools. The respective departments are included in the institutes, called Bhavanas. These are-