Visva-Bharati has decided to reopen Santiniketan Griha — the oldest house on the campus — for tourists after over four years.

The house was closed in March 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak.

"We will reopen Santiniketan Griha very soon. We are considering how to manage tourists in the core area where the house is located, as the place is now a Unesco World Heritage site," said Atig Ghosh, the acting public officer of Visva-Bharati.

The date for reopening it to tourists has not been finalised.

Santiniketan Griha, adjacent to Upasana Griha (the prayer hall), is the first building in Santiniketan. It was bought by Rabindranath Tagore’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, in 1862 from a local zamindar.

Santiniketan Griha features a panel of photographs detailing the members of the Tagore family.

"We plan to include a few new items inside Santiniketan Griha to attract tourists," said an official.

Some university officials expressed concerns about Unesco protocols and security before reopening Santiniketan Griha, as it is a pivotal part of the World Heritage site.

Santiniketan was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in September 2023.

"We will collaborate with Patha Bhavana authorities and the security department to ensure that all protocols are followed before Santiniketan Griha is reopened to tourists," said Amal Pal, the acting director of culture at Visva-Bharati.

A senior university official said a dedicated route was designed for tourists visiting Santiniketan Griha so that no one could enter the main campus apart from designated tourist areas.

"Tourists will be permitted to visit Santiniketan Griha in groups during designated time slots," said an official.

Some Visva-Bharati teachers stressed the importance of providing trained guides for visitors, mandatory for any Unesco World Heritage site. "Untrained guides can misinform tourists. The varsity must take up responsibility to train a group of guides," said a senior teacher.