MUST VISIT FOR STUDENTS

If you are connected with a school, college or tutorial, you must bring children to Prakriti Bhavan Museum Shantiniketan when they visit the heritage site of Vishwa Bharti.

Get briefing from Google referring to the following points:

1. Relevance of Prakriti Bhavan Museum Shantiniketan for students.
2. How Prakriti Bhavan Museum is working with nature as a fantasy for children.
3. How Prakriti Bhavan Museum Shantiniketan is an escape from the digital world and AI creativity.
4. How Prakriti Bhavan Museum Shantiniketan is relevant to humanity and the world.
5. How Prakriti Bhavan Museum Shantiniketan is taking the legacy of Tagore worldwide

Google’s write-ups are based on finding of thousands of visitors who upload their comments/photographs over the years. Elders will realise and see the transformative human creativity as distinct from AI creativity.

MOST POPULAR INDIVIDUAL SCULPTURES IN PRAKRITI BHAVAN MUSEUM

The nature sculptures which makes the visitors think about the crisis facing humanity today:

1. 1. Mahesh- The famine stricken cow of Sarat Chandra, symbol of global warming.
2. Anti-war sculptures- Atomic Blast, Scream, Panic Stricken Couple in war zone, Farewell to Arms, Tired Horse and Maitri in Gallery 1.
3. Mothering on the footpath focussing on the rich and poor gap in bronze gallery 2.
4. This apart must see sculptures are:-
   a)Dancing Peacock in Gallery 3.
   b)Naturescapes and historical personalities in the Bengal Gallery (gallery 4)
5. In the rock sculpture garden the popular sculptures are:-
   a) Reclining Buddha ( Mahapari Nirvan) nature’s own creation sculpted in rock over thousands of years.
   b) Ganesha, Owl and Sleeping Lion before Rishi Kavi Tagore and Mahakal.

Guide services are also available on special request. Ticket Price Rs. 40. 50% concession for student groups.

Where will you see Sculptor Subrata Basu’s Nature Sculptures?

1. In Prakriti Bhavan Nature Art Museum, Shantinketan. This Museum maintains and displays creation of Nature Sculptures in 4 galleries and a rock sculpture garden.
2. Outside Prakriti Bhavan Museum, Shantinketan:-
   a) In Shonajhuri forest, migratory birds composed of 7 rock nature sculptures to sensitise people about the natural heritage of bird sanctuary in the deer park across the canal. This along with the Prakriti Bhavan Museum Shantinketan comprises the eco-tourism zone of Ballavpur,
   Shantinketan.
   b) Matsya Urvashi Sculpture on the bank of river Ganga near Princep Ghat. This Sculpture 6ft height in Bronze adapted from Subrata Basu Nature Sculpture in wood which is on permanent display on Gallery 1 of Prakriti Bhavan Museum. This Sculpture has several images- Dance of Nataraj, acrobatic performance of a fish on the flowing Ganga and ballerina dance. This is a popular Sunset viewpoint of Princep Ghat in Kolkata. Ananda Bazar Pratrika covered this Sunset view on 31 December 2025.
   c) grazing cows and squirrel eating a nut on the lawns of ICCR Kolkata. This depicts a pastoral scene common all over the world. This is specially lighted in the evening as you come out of the auditorium of ICCR you will notice this.
   d) In Haldia opposite to DAV school, Maitri Sculpture 18ft on 6ft pedestal. This is adapted in concrete from Subrata Basu’s Nature Sculpture in wood on display in Gallery 1 of Prakriti Bhavan Museum. It is specially lighted in the evening having an ethereal effect by the Haldia dock complex.
   e) Open air rock sculpture garden in Shilparamum Hyderabad. This he created from natural rock sculptures from the rocky terrain of Hyderabad. He did this to sensitise people of Hyderabad about the natural heritage of the rock formations of Deccan Plateau which is fast disappearing due to reckless urbanisation. For this he was awarded the Ugadi Award from the government of Andhra Pradesh now Telegana.
   f) Rockscape in JNPT Port head office area, to sensitise people of the natural heritage of the Western Ghats now under threat.
   g) In Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, the Sculpture of Gandhiji lifting salt adapted in Bronze from the Nature Sculpture in wood on permanent display in Prakriti Bhavan Museum in Shantinketan. This captures the moment when Gandhiji became ‘Mahatma’ connecting instantly the hearts of millions of people in India living on rice and salt only.
   h) In cellular jail museum gallery 3 in Port Blair- torch of freedom in wood is on permanent display. This was installed to commemorate 50th year of India’s independence. In this Gallery you will also find Maitri Sculpture in Bronze adapted from his Nature Sculpture commemorating 70th year of India’s independence. Both the Sculptures combined convey the message that our freedom fighters fought not only for our people but for the people of the whole world fostering friendship and ferternity with all.
   i) In Seattle USA the Maitri Sculpture adapted in Bronze from Subrata Basu’s nature sulpture in wood was handed over to the mayor of Seattle by the consel general of India on 21 June 2025 on World Yoga day. It conveys the message of friendship and fraternity to the people of Seattle and USA when humanity is passing through existential crisis due to lack of trust in each other.

Through all these Sculptures in Shantinketan and outside, Prakriti Bhavan Nature Art Museum is trying to bring man closer to nature and foster harmony with Mother Nature, creativity, humanity and peace in tune with the spiritual humanistic philosophy of Tagore.

Sunipa Basu,