---
title: "Kalighat Painting: Bengal Folk Art Explained"
description: "Kalighat painting is a 19th-century Bengali souvenir art from Calcutta's Kali temple, blending swift brushwork, religious figures and biting social satire."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/kalighat-painting"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Kalighat painting is a 19th-century Bengali popular art form of watercolour scrolls and souvenir sheets sold to pilgrims near the Kalighat Kali temple in Calcutta.
- How does Kalighat painting differ from the older Bengal patachitra scroll tradition?
- Why is Kalighat painting significant beyond religious imagery?
- Why did Kalighat painting decline?
- Where are the most important Kalighat collections held?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Kalighat painting is a 19th-century Bengali popular art form of watercolour scrolls and souvenir sheets sold to pilgrims near the Kalighat Kali temple in Calcutta.

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In 2017 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London staged a dedicated display of its Kalighat paintings, the world's largest collection, highlighting the genre's satirical depictions of the 1873 Tarakeswar scandal in colonial Calcutta.

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