Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
NAYANA'S HOMESTAY A home away from home. Walk, cycle, photograph crumbling terracotta temples, wander through tribal villages, enjoy Tagore's University or just slumber in a quiet corner of 'CHOTA KOTHI'. A cosy environment for like-minded guests where the hosts are always present and involved with the day to day cooking, cleaning and other activities of their house. An unpretentious, friendly atmosphere with energetic evening 'addas'. A 'Homestay' in the true sense of the word. *2 Rooms - sleeping 5 adults. Tariff (Rs. 5000/5500) Includes Breakfast & Dinner, Tea/coffee & mineral water. *Both Rooms air-conditioned.
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Nayana's Homestay garners high praise for its serene garden and art-filled spaces, creating a cozy and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere that travelers find welcoming. Reviewers frequently commend the exceptional cleanliness and attention to detail throughout the property.
Guests appreciate the homestay's value, often highlighting the beautiful interior design and artwork. The service at Nayana's Homestay is also a standout, with many guests lauding the host's personalized care and warmth, which add to the charm of their experience.
Atmosphere
Artistic
Value
Beautiful
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Impeccable
Amenities
Relaxing
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Shantiniketan in Winter with Nayana's Homestay as the "Home", to me, is a fantastic combination for a prefect family holiday. I made a repeat visit with my family for few things: complete privacy, peaceful environment, the flora and fauna in its plants and animals, vibrant art and sculptures, tastefully decorated living room, comfy beds, freshly made breakfast and unlimited tea / coffee. Nayana a very talented, multi-skilled and a versatile host who took care of our stay and advised us on where to get what, which was really helpful. The house help (Maku di) and the food supplied by Mr. Borgi is exceptional. Thank you Nayana for maintaining such a beautiful place and amazing every traveller with your warmth and hospitality.
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Date of stay: February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nayana Gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 11 Feb 2023
It was a pleasure to host wonderful and appreciative guests like you. Please do return for more " addas" . Wonderful to meet your parents. Thank you very much for your kind words.
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There is a lonely queen waiting for you. Her regal head turned upwards, the salt and pepper crown a bit entangled. The Bhadra Lok accent and the diction could be British, it’s so impeccable. Words like insouciance, insular and emissary poke you in the ribs, making you frantically try to recall at least something from the one Vikram Seth novel you have read. The refreshing taste of the Kevda infused cold water (all the way from Murshidabad) that welcomes you, stays with you till the end of the visit, just like the cheerful scamp of the house – Ronnie, the indie. The house is a living museum– a lifetime’s collection of art work, books and well, memories of the past, the ghosts of which seem to permeate the fabric of the place. You are welcomed with an open heart, and an invitation to join the Nabo Barsho dinner with friends who are artists at “The University”. The itinerary for the next day is chalked out with a “you must thank me for this” swirl of the curls. Kankali Temple, Viswa Bharti, Srijan haat and Dharmaraj Temple. She graces you with her presence in the latter part of the day, proving a useful ally in driving bargain at the Haat. The British fussiness gives way to French joi-de-vivre over a round of Puchkas at the village chaatwalla. Suddenly the queen is a little girl who loved theatre and more. Back at chateau, the inscrutable Maku is waiting without waiting. Then it’s next morning and time to back the car, one final time, up the gravel drive, out of the wrought iron gates and catch the blue tiled Chota Kothi sign one final time in the rear-view mirror. Of course, there are promises to meet up in Panagarh and take the Birbhum tour and do this one more time. Maybe I will.
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Date of stay: April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from nayana gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 23 Apr 2022
It was such a pleasure to host Seema and you. So much ground still to cover. Stories to be told and heard. Please do return. Soon. Many ,many thanks for your kind words and amazing photography.
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I live in Kolkata, and Nayana's Homestay is now my secret escape. In addition to all of the wonderful things other reviewers have said about Nayana's masterful hosting, I would add that she can also arrange bespoke trips to Murshidabad, Bishnapur, and craft villages outside of Shanti Niketan. She is a consummate hostess, sparklingly entertaining and generous. I will keep going back!
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Date of stay: February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from nayana gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 27 Jul 2021
It was wonderful to introduce you to more of Bengal. I'm happy you enjoyed the marvels our state offers. Thank you very much for your kind words. Looking forward to your next visit. Monsoon is beautiful in Birbhum.
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Chota Kothi at Shantiniketan is like home away from home. The gracious hostess Nayana will make sure your stay is comfortable & you will feel as if you are staying with a long lost friend. The highlight of the trip is going around the nearby villages to see the terracotta temples, ruins of palatial houses & palaces. So if you are in Shantiniketan do stay with Nayana & experience her hospitality & warmth.
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Date of stay: December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from nayana gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 6 Jan 2022
Dear Bindu, What a pleasure it was to finally meet you. Breakaway has been a great support over these years but it was the first time that YOU visited! Hopefully the first of many. Loved spending time with you. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.
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This was my first visit to Shantiniketan and I feel, I made the best decision of staying at Nayana's homestay. I will always see bholpur/shantiniketan from what the windows of chota khothi showed me , peaceful and full of history. Nayana went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable and kept checking on us to make sure we reached her home smoothly. Maku didi made sure we had a lovely stay. And the star was Ronnie, my daughter had the best time playing with him . The rooms are clean , there were mosquito repellents kept handy given the greenery outside. Nayana helped us plan our itinerary for the day and was kind enough to arrange a toto , Pranab da showed us around . It was a beautiful first time experience in Bholpur. Hoping to visit Nayana and Ronnie soon ....
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Date of stay: August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nayana Gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 18 Aug 2023
It was wonderful meeting the 3 of you. Hope everyone is well. Ronnie certainly misses his young friend. Do visit us again. Soon.
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I and my family loved Nayana's place which is not only a quaint place to relax and rejuvenate yourself over the weekend but what I really liked was our eclectic discussion over tea/ drinks and snacks. The delectable local delicacies offered at Nayana's place by Borgi da is inevitable. Her artsy decor and huge lush green garden amidst the comforting weather of Shantiniketan made our entire experience very pleasant!! A must visit place (for accommodation) if you are planning to travel Shantiniketan!
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Date of stay: August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nayana Gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 28 Aug 2022
Thank you for your very kind words. It was a pleasure to meet your parents and you. Miss our evening adda. Hope you return soon.
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Me n my husband stayed for an unplanned night over there in mid June ,2020. Firstly it was so kind of the owner to arrange the room with such a short notice, specially at a late hour. When we reached over there, after our long tiring day, it was so welcoming and cozy..felt like being in a well known place. The house is pretty ,decor is minimal but elegant and having the old world charm. The garden is so unwinding n relaxing, so is the terrace. We felt like being recharged 😊.
Look forward to spend a lazy holiday in the house soon.
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Date of stay: June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from nayana161, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 23 Jun 2020
Please do visit for a longer stay and not a hurried one. Look forward to MEETING y ou this time. Thanks for the very kind review inspire of the " hurried " organisation. Haven't been able to go to the house since early March so no idea the condition it is in. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience.
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Santiniketan can be the ideal getaway if your accommodation is sorted. Which happened at Nayana’s Homestay—helmed by Nayana Gangooly, who has been running this delightful homestay for a decade now, singlehandedly. One can be spoiled for choice with homestays in Santiniketan, but Nayana’s turned out to be an abode of charm and cultural capture. Everything personalized from the Toto driver Pronob waiting at our Vande Bharat compartment, to Nayana’s meticulous care and scintillating company. A combination of wide open spaces, historic artefacts, food served up from classic iron skillets on ceramic crockery changed for every meal; an adivasi housekeeper, Maku, quietly looking after all our needs; a friendly dog ; well appointed bedroom which sported local quilts and coverlets.
Access to local craft, interaction with art spaces and artists and culinary capers are all a part of Nayana’s knowledgeable repertoire. You can be flexible at lunchtime—so we grabbed a typical Bengali thali at Amar Kutir Henshel Ghar one day and a leisurely one the next day—an adivasi thali cooked by Sukanya at the Mitali guest house. Although you can order dinner in advance at Nayana’s too. Breakfast is on the house.
Incidentally, as we sat sipping our lemon-grass infused tea in the verandah, I decided to finish my Word Hurdle and Phrazle, and coincidence of coincidences—the phrase turned out to be “Home Away from Home”!
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Date of stay: July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nayana Gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 28 Jul 2023
It was such a true delight to have you stay. I wish it was a longer visit. Need to do proper " adda". Please return soon. Cooler weather perhaps.
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Spent a delightful weekend at Shantiniketan at Nayana's homestay. She has a big house , with two large balconies - one at the front and at the back of her house and a heavenly terrace at first floor , which affords a clear view of the sky , studded with diamondlike stars. The house is surrounded by a sprawling garden , with rich, natural green . The gardener was watering the plants this morning , resulting in a maddening petrichor scent - reminiscent of the first showers of rain.
Nayana is a descendant of Abanindra Nath Tagore , and a student of Loretto School , Middleton Street. Her decor and management of the homestay reflect the best of heaven and home - a blend of which is aesthetically exquisite . A stay at Nayana's is a quintessentially Shantiniketan experience. It is a blissful union with nature.
Back to the material aspect , the place offers good , a sumptuous breakfast and brisk , efficient service. The stay is comfortable. Most importantly , Nayana's company , the personalized care she extends , are rare , unique , enriching ; not to be found in other places.
Would recommend Nayana's for your next trip to Shantiniketon strongly.
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Date of stay: April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nayana Gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 10 Apr 2023
It was wonderful spending time with you and your family. Loved the addas. Do visit again soon. Monsoon maybe? Many thanks for your kind words.
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I stayed with my family including my 5 year old son and 2.5 month old daughter; and, as one can imagine, a million things could have gone wrong but NONE did.
Nayana’s home is thoughtfully set up, with all the comforts you can get in a great hotel but with the warmth of a homestay.
Nayana provided some great tips to us on where to shop from, where to eat and even helped with our daily itinerary. My son had a great time exploring the property with Ronnie (the extremely well behaved doggo) and the caretaker (Maku and her family). Every inch in her house is filled with art; even the table is laid out tastefully (even if you order-in your food!). The breakfast is just perfect (I have seldom had bread that was toasted to such perfection and the Spanish omelette that many travellers have vouched for - does live up to its reputation). Nayana would provide you options on how to travel to Shantiniketan, how to get to her place, where to order in your food, how to commute locally. She is quite knowledgeable in history, local art, literature and philosophy - it makes for great tea /coffee time conversation.
I could really just go on. If I do visit Shantiniketan again, I would definitely stay at her place again!
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Date of stay: November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nayana Gangooly, Owner at Nayana's Homestay
Responded 1 week ago
You and the babies were such fun. It's was lovely having the few chats we managed. Do please return. Babies included. Our YOUNGEST guest yet!
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"Santiniketan is well connected by Rail. Avoid Own Car. Totos are the best Mode of Local Transport. Crowded Narrow Streets and Parking is a big Problem. "
There are more places to choose from in the Santiniketan area.
LOCATION
IndiaWest BengalBirbhum DistrictSantiniketan
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
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