Visva-Bharati authorities on Wednesday conducted a trial run of the proposed Heritage Walk, which would allow tourists to visit the core Ashram area, part of which falls under the Unesco world heritage site.

This particular zone, which had remained closed since the Covid-19 outbreak, is set to reopen to tourists after a five-year gap.

Officials said that initially the Heritage Walk would be conducted every Sunday, offering a two-hour guided walk along the laterite roads of the campus.

Weather permitting, the walk will start this Sunday or the next, a varsity official said.

Unesco declared part of the Visva-Bharati campus — including five houses of Rabindranath Tagore and the museum — as a heritage site on September 17, 2023.

Vice-chancellor Probir Kumar Ghosh, who led the trial run to identify logistical challenges before the official launch, said: “The Heritage Walk was one of Unesco’s recommendations. We have published leaflets describing the areas and monuments included in the walk in three languages — Bangla, Hindi and English. Though we are starting with Sundays, if all goes well, we hope to conduct the Heritage Walk five or six days a week within six months.”

Previously, tourists were allowed to roam the campus freely. However, following complaints about disruptions to the open-air classes at Patha Bhavana, one of the university’s schools, authorities restricted tourist entry during school hours. Entry was completely stopped following the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, even after the pandemic subsided, the campus stayed off-bounds due to administrative decisions, which many questioned.

“We are planning to introduce an online ticketing system for the Heritage Walk, depending on the response from tourists,” Ghosh added.

The Telegraph takes an overview of the Heritage Walk.

Ambit

Tourists, accompanied by trained guides, will enter the core Ashram area through
the gate opposite Rabindra Bhavana Museum. The walk will include:

Chhatimtala: A concrete structure around the old Chhatim tree where Rabindranath Tagore’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, used to meditate

Patha Bhavana campus: The first school established by Rabindranath Tagore in 1901, originally named Brahma Vidyalaya

Santiniketan Griha: A two-storey house bought by Debendranath Tagore from a local zamindar in the late 1800s, where Rabindranath began living in 1895

Upasana Griha: A temple made of coloured Belgian glass, where prayers are held every Wednesday morning

Timing

Initially, the Heritage Walk will be conducted on Sundays only, with four slots — 10am, 11am, 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Each group will have 25 tourists. The tour will last two hours, conducted entirely on foot.

Guides

Visva-Bharati has trained four staff members to serve as guides for the Heritage Walk. They will narrate the history and significance of each monument and site. All guides are fluent in Bengali, Hindi and English. Based on demand, more guides may be trained and deployed.

Tickets

A ticketing system will be in place for the walk. While general tourists will be charged ₹300 per person, for students in groups it would be ₹50 each. Individual student tourists with identity cards will be charged ₹150 each. Foreign tourists will have to pay ₹1,000 each.

The existing ticketing system for visiting the museum and Tagore’s five houses will stay unchanged.

Amenities

Drinking water and tea will be available to tourists at their own expense. Existing general toilet facilities can be used by them. There will be two stalls from where books and photographs published by Visva-Bharati will be sold. The varsity’s acting public relations officer Atig Ghosh said: “Once we start the walk, we will be able to understand requirements and tailor the experiences accordingly.”

Special tourists

At present, all participants must complete the walk on foot. Visva-Bharati is planning to introduce e-rickshaws for elderly or differently abled visitors. A website will be launched for a virtual tour.

Security

Eight security personnel will be deployed across the Heritage Walk zone. Two will accompany each walking group. Mobile photography is allowed. Professional camera users must pay an extra fee. Shooting reels for social media will not be allowed.

Curbs

Tourists will not be allowed to visit Kala Bhavana and Sangit Bhavana for now. However, authorities plan to design a compact tour in the future that includes both departments, Rabindra Bhavana Museum, and the heritage zone.

Challenges

Insiders believe that demand for the Heritage Walk on Sundays will be high and the 100-tourist cap may be insufficient.

This apart, enhanced security is essential as there are girls’ hostels on the campus.

Although Patha Bhavana remains closed on Sundays and Wednesdays, if walks are held on weekdays as well, which the authorities are planning, they will need to be carefully coordinated to avoid disrupting school activities.