Chhatimtala

Chhatimtala in Santiniketan is a deeply sacred spot under a cluster of chhatim (Alstonia scholaris) trees where Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore, meditated and experienced spiritual awakening on the night of 21 December 1863. This experience led him to purchase the land and establish the ashram that would eventually become Visva-Bharati University. The spot is considered the spiritual origin of Santiniketan and remains a place of quiet meditation and reverence. A small commemorative structure marks the location, and the ancient chhatim trees still stand, creating a serene canopy.