The Indian rebirth

Renaissance marks a period of revolution in history. It is the rethinking of philosophies, art and culture. The bengal renaissance in particular, marked the transition of India towards modernity and the establishment of the Indian identity. Advocating the idea of a monotheistic culture and the idea of oneness through the philosphies of the Brahmo samaj brought about a new way of thinking and an outburst of new ideas. The pioneers of the Bangali movement were elite scholars that were rediscovering indigenous ideas and principles and would herald the path of the new modern Indian. The bengal rennaisance became the vehicle for reformation in Indian society.

Shantiniketan can be undoubtedly be called the epicenter of the bangali revolution. While at first glance it seems to be a rather eccentric place, The educational institute reflected Tagore's ideas and philosophies. The different styles and the mix match also seems to stem from the elite intellectual searching for his own identity. It propagated the revival of the ' tapoban' meaning penance in a forest and the idea of gurukul systems of teaching. I also think Shantiniketan was one of the first experiments in internationalism. Shantiniketan attempted to surpass cultural and national boundaries to establish a larger international vision and that of universal humanism. The architecture of Shantiniketan is an eclectic mix of ideas from various cultures and traditions like ajanta, ellora as well as mughal architecture only goes on to propagate the philosophy of oneness and unity. The architecture of shantiniketan brought back a sense of what Indianess constitutes of. It is the hallmark for the Bengal renaissance that beautifully blends various architectural styles and reflects on the idea of oneness. It was the physical manifestation of Rabindranath Tagore's idea of the world forming a single nest. I believe