Rabindranath Tagore lived in Santiniketan and wrote many of his literary works, including poems, songs, and novels, while there. The campus of Santiniketan is adorned with sculptures, frescoes, murals, and paintings by Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar, Binodbehari Mukhopadhyay, and others.
The Birbhum District, where Santiniketan is located, is also known for its fairs and festivals, such as the Poush Mela in December, the Joydev Mela in January, the Basanta Utsav (Holi) in March, and the Baul Singers. The Bengali New Year and Rabindra Janmotsav, a celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday, are celebrated in the month of Boisakh with great enthusiasm.
Other festivals celebrated in Santiniketan include Briksharopan, a festival of planting saplings, and Halakarshan, a festival of plowing the fields, both of which are held in the month of Sravana.
The Varshamangal, a festival of rains, is celebrated in August or September. One of the most notable festivals in Santiniketan is the Poush Mela, an annual fair that features live performances of Bengali folk music, particularly by Baul singers, and tribal dances.