Kolkata, Sep 17 (IANS): The announcement of the Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore-founded VIsva-Bharati University (VBU) located at Bolpur- Santiniketan in West Bengal's Birbhum district becoming the first living and functional university to get the UNESCO World Heritage site tag, has left Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee elated.

Banerjee who is currently on a tour to Spain to scout for investments, announced the development through a message on her official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

"Glad and proud that our Santiniketan, the town of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is now finally included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Biswa Bangla's pride, Santiniketan was nurtured by the poet and has been supported by people of Bengal over the generations. We from the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to its infrastructure in last 12 years and the world now recognises the glory of the heritage place. Kudos to all who love Bengal, Tagore, and his messages of fraternity. Jai Bangla, Pranam to Gurudev," she posted.

Trinamool Congress’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has also expressed his joy over the development. "An immensely proud moment for all citizens of our great nation and Bengalis around the world. May Bengal forever remain a shining beacon of hope, embracing the teachings and ideals of Rabindranath Tagore," he wrote on X.