The festival of Doljatra (Holi) was renamed as Basonta Utsav by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Basanto Utsav heralds the coming of spring season and is an integral part of the Bengali culture. Tagore had introduced this as an annual event in his Vishva-bharati University in Shantiniketan, West Bengal. Every year, the students and the youths of the institution, attired in colorful yellow (called Basanti colour in Bengali) dresses, celebrate Holi in a very special way. A number of cultural programmes, including songs and dance performances, are staged. Since its inception, Basonto Utsav has captured international interest which is proved by the presence of a large number of foreign tourists at Shantiniketan during its celebration.
The Office of the Resident Commissioner, West Bengal, organizes special events to commemorate the occasion, including cultural programmes, food festivals or crafts expositions.
