Holi by the name of Basant Utsav is celebrated with fervour in the
state of West Bengal. The tradition of Vasantotsav, meaning
Spring
Festival was started by poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at
Shantiniketan, the University he founded.
What is appreciated is the grace and diginified manner in which Vasant
Utsav is celebrated in West Bengal as compared to boisterous Holi witnessed
in most parts of India. Boys and girls joyfully welcome Spring, the season
of hope not just with colours but with songs, dance, chanting of hymns in
the serene ambiance of Shantiniketan. Anybody who got a chance to witness
this elegant way of celebrating Holi in Bengal remembers it with fond memory
for the rest of his life.
