Santiniketan has the distinct identity of culture and heritage, which gives the place a unique soft touch. This is a preferred tourist destination developed as a part of the popular religious-cultural tourist circuit of the region viz. Santiniketan-Bakreswar-Tarapith.
The best time to visit Shantiniketan is the time when the University celebrates the festivals unique only to Shantiniketan. The Poush Mela is a winter fair held in December which commemorates beginning of open-air classes at Shantiniketan. Poush celebrations at Shantiniketan feature the main Tagore art forms – dance-drama, music, literature and art. The fair has extensive displays of folk arts and crafts. Its theme is a blend of Birbhum’’s Adivasi-Santhal and Baul folk and tribal cultures, alongside Tagorean innovations in art and culture.
The Vasantotsav held around the mid March is another festive time when spring is welcomed with cultural programmes and pageants of colour, giving a vibrant look to the whole of Shantiniketan