Patha Bhavana

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Patha Bhavana (Bangla: পাঠ ভবন) is a renowned institution of primary and secondary education in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India. Founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1901, starting with only five students, the school is characterized by its philosophy of learning with the heart in closeness to nature without any superficial barriers between teachers and students, as opposed to the strict, repetitive and the rote learning system that was mainstream during Tagore's childhood, much to his dismay. Often referred to as an ashram system, initially what started out as this school, later grew into what is now Visva-Bharati University. It is one of the two primary and secondary school affiliated with the Visva-Bharati University; the other being Shiksha Satra.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

The school has a diverse range of extracurricular activities. Sahitya Sabhas are literary and musical evenings, usually taking place each Tuesday, in which students share their own literary works, dance, music and short skits among themselves and with the community. The school also presents plays during the annual Rabindra Saptaho, along with all other bodies of the Visva-Bharati University. Sports are also an important part of campus life. Recently, due to the declining number of students participating, the administration has held many talks with the whole student body. As well, there are other annual competitions in the areas of music, dance and recitation. Often, professionals in the field of sciences are invited to evenings of discussions of many contemporary scientific and social issues, along with the students. There is also a yearly picnic (Barshik Bonobhojon), as well as many excursions to different parts of West Bengal, including Bardhaman, Malda, Purulia, Chittaranjan etc. These extracurricular activities are a significant part of the tradition and culture of Patha-Bhavana, as well as that of the identity of its student body.