Gallaried is a word that we thought did not exist and momentarily thought that we coined it!. The dictionary didn’t let us bask in that glory for more than a minute. Gallaried is a word. So are galleried inns and hotels (mostly in Europe).
But most likely, a galleried home stay is a rarity. We were lucky to find one in Shantiniketan—the Srirangam Homestay, thanks to Condé Nast Traveller. Shantiniketan has been in our to-go list for a while. It was to be clubbed with a trip to Sundarbans, which never materialized for various reasons. When that opportunity came in February 2026, we planned a couple of days for Shantiniketan as well. Srirangam was bookmarked ever since we read the Condé Nast piece.
Arts and artefacts adorn the walls and shelves everywhere. Paintings, masks, wooden sculptures, batik work—all tastefully curated and collected from various parts of the world. Low-seated carved wooden sofas with colourful furnishings are clustered on the ground-floor living room as well as the living-cum-dining room on the first floor. The ground floor’s only bedroom is for the family, while the other six—three rooms on the first floor, two on the mezzanine floor (accessed through the staircase landings) and the one on the terrace—are for guests.
Books—fiction and non-fiction, classics and contemporary—fill the shelves. Some amazing coffee-table books are there to treat you on the tables of both living rooms. As wide ranging as it can be—from the one that speaks about the history and landscape of Bangladesh, Varanasi, the Ajanta caves to an illustrated Mahabharata.
The structure itself reflects the aesthetics of the land—red brick walls without the plastering, complemented by the red oxide and Athangudi tile flooring. The South Indian influence is a conscious choice—right from the padippura at the entrance, and the pillars in the verandah.
To boot it all is an expansive 1400-square-feet art gallery in the basement, which we discovered on our last day when the ever-helpful Bivash Mitra, the manager gave us a house tour. The walls are filled with a large collection of masks (the largest we have ever seen in a single place) from all over the world. It hosts exhibitions and community meet-ups of artists.
The food was simple and delicious. Given our gluten challenges, we requested for poha in the morning, and to our delight, it was one of the best pohas we ever had, with plenty of vegetables. For dinner, we asked for simple dal-rice-subji-curd and it could not have been better! Bivash is assisted by two cooks, two housekeepers, and a gardener-cum-night-guard.
Srirangam is hosted by Shumon and his wife Ananya. Shumon was in Dhaka on work and Ananya was away, and hence we couldnt spend time with them. During our home stays, we often try to find time to have a meal or a coffee with the hosts and listen to their life stories as well as stories of the place.
Srirangam should be your choice of stay if Shantiniketan is in your bucket list.
Srirangam is on the Shantiniketan–Sriniketan road. Reachable from Bolpur Railway Station by toto (the electric three-wheeler). Totos are the most convenient to move around in Shantiniketan. Bivash can help you to get one on call.
Also read :
Our stay with Steve Lall and family at Jilling Estate, Uttarakhand. (The Renegades of Jilling)
Our stay with James and family at Maplepine Farms, Meghalaya. (Handmade Homes and Homemade Meals)
Our stay with Anil & Family at Kuflon Basics, Uttarakhand (Jab We Met @Kuflon Basics)
