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{{Multiple issues|
{{essay|date=June 2020}}
{{more footnotes|date=November 2017}}
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{{Original research|date=June 2020}}
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{{Culture of Bengal}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
The '''culture of Kolkata''' concerns the music, art, museums, festivals, and lifestyle within [[Kolkata]]. It is the former capital of [[India]] and, {{As of|2021|lc=y}}, the capital of the [[states of India|Indian state]] of [[West Bengal]]. Geir Heierstad writes that Bengalis tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature.<ref name=sinha>{{ cite book
| author =Sinha P | year = 1990 | title = Kolkata – The Living City. Volume 1: The Past
| chapter = Kolkata and the Currents of History | editor = Chaudhuriय़यकुहच S.| publisher = Oxford University Press, Oxford. }}<br> Cited by: {{cite web | author=Heierstad G | publisher=University of Oslo, Norway | url=http://folk.uio.no/gheierst/nandikar.pdf | title=Nandikar: Staging Globalisation in Kolkata and Abroad | pages=102 | year=2003 | format=[[PDF|PDF Format]] | access-date=2006-04-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512065317/http://folk.uio.no/gheierst/nandikar.pdf | archive-date=12 May 2006 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Arts==
[[File:Theatre Museum Kolkata, Chhau Mask, Folk Gallery,.jpg|thumb|200px|Chau Mask in Kolkata Theatre Museum Folk Gallery]]
{{see also|Group theatre of Kolkata}}
The city has a long tradition of commercial theatres and [[Group theatre of Kolkata|group theatres]]. As opposed to commercial theatres, group theatres usually do not have any profit making agenda. Group theatre activists use the proscenium stage to portray some social message.<ref name=bhatta99>{{cite book |last1=Bhattacharya |first1=Malini |editor1-first= Jasodhara|editor1-last=Bagchi |title= The changing status of women in West Bengal, 1970–2000: the challenge ahead |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1Xq8FARrFKUC |year=2005 |publisher=Sage Publications |location= New Delhi |isbn= 9780761932420 |pages=99–100 |chapter= Culture}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= Theatre Histories: An Introduction| first1=Phillip |last1=Zarilli |first2=Bruce |last2=McConachie|first3= Gary Jay|last3= Williams|last4= Sorgenfrei|first4=Carol Fisher|editor-last=Williams|editor-first=Gary Jay|publisher= Routledge|year=2010|orig-year=2006|location=Abingdon, UK|isbn=9780415462235 |pages=429–430|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z88LLjzoWqQC}}</ref> The commercial theatres of the city, however, has been declining in popularity since the 1980s, and only a handful of commercial theatre productions are made, as of 2009.<ref name=bhatta99/><ref name=dett5312009>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090531/jsp/7days/story_11042452.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202095412/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090531/jsp/7days/story_11042452.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 February 2014|title=Chowringhee revisited|last=De|first=Hemchhaya|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=Kolkata|date= 31 May 2009|access-date=9 March 2012|quote=...most people say that Bengali commercial theatre died in the 1980s...}}</ref>

Notable group theatres include the Little Theatre Group, Gandharba, Calcutta Theatre, [[Nandikar]], Bahurupee etc. and movements like the [[Indian People's Theatre Association]] (IPTA).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ghosh |first1=Parimal |year=2012 |title=Rise and fall of Calcutta's group theatre: the end of a political dream |journal=Economic & Political Weekly |volume=47 |issue=10 |pages=36–42 |publisher=Economic and Political Weekly |issn=0012-9976 |url=http://epw.in/epw/uploads/articles/17211.pdf |access-date=9 March 2012 |df=dmy }}{{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Famous drama and theatrics personalities include [[Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay]], [[Utpal Dutta]], [[Rudraprasad Sengupta]] and [[Sombhu Mitra|Shambhu Mitra]].

==Architecture==
[[File:Sudrak - Painting & Sculpture Exhibition - Kolkata 2012-10-03 0544.JPG|thumb|An exhibition of painting and sculpture is going on at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata.]]

Kolkata has buildings adorned with [[Indo-Islamic architecture|Indo-Islamic]] and [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture|Indo-Saracenic]] architectural motifs. Several well-maintained major buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage structures";<ref>{{cite web |title= Graded list of heritage buildings |url= https://www.kmcgov.in/KMCPortal/downloads/Graded_List_of_Heritage_Buildings_Grade_I_IIA_IIB.pdf |publisher= Kolkata Municipal Corporation |access-date= 24 January 2012 |year= 2009}}</ref> however, others are in various stages of decay.<ref>{{cite news |last= Mukherjee Pandey, Jhimli |title= Heritage buildings need restoration, not mere repairs |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Heritage-buildings-need-restoration-not-mere-repairs/articleshow/9858922.cms |access-date= 24 January 2012 |date= 4 September 2011 |location= New Delhi |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120717030639/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-04/kolkata/30112600_1_heritage-buildings-heritage-movement-g-m-kapur |archive-date= 17 July 2012 |url-status= live |newspaper= [[The Times of India]] |df= dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Out of elite list, cradle of Bengal Renaissance falling apart |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Out-of-elite-list-cradle-of-Bengal-Renaissance-falling-apart/articleshow/8999217.cms |access-date= 24 January 2012 |agency= TNN |date= 26 June 2011 |location= New Delhi |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120716231328/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-26/kolkata/29705730_1_house-movement-slab |archive-date= 16 July 2012 |url-status= live |newspaper= [[The Times of India]] |df= dmy-all }}</ref>
Established in 1814 as the nation's oldest museum, the [[Indian Museum]] houses large collections that showcase [[Indian natural history]] and [[Indian art]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Mandal |first= Caesar |title= Gardeners to guard museum? |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Gardeners-to-guard-museum/articleshow/6309033.cms |access-date= 24 January 2012 |date= 14 August 2010 |location= New Delhi |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120707164431/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-14/kolkata/28309037_1_security-gadgets-security-lapse-private-security-agency |archive-date= 7 July 2012 |url-status= live |newspaper= [[The Times of India]] |df= dmy-all }}</ref> [[Marble Palace (Kolkata)|Marble Palace]] is a classic example of a European mansion that was built in the city. The [[Victoria Memorial (India)|Victoria Memorial]], a [[places of interest in Kolkata|place of interest in Kolkata]], has a museum documenting the city's history.

[[Kalighat painting]] originated in the 19th century Kolkata, in the vicinity of [[Kalighat Kali Temple]] of [[Kalighat]]. Initially sold as items of souvenir taken by the visitors to the Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of [[Indian painting]]. From the depiction of [[Hindu]] gods, [[Hindu goddess|goddesses]], and other [[Hindu mythology|mythological]] characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of themes including quotidian life.<ref name=kalighpaint1>{{cite book|title=A history of Indian painting: the modern period|last=Chaitanya|first=Krishna|publisher=Abhinav Publications|year=1994|location=New Delhi|pages=112–118|isbn=9788170173106}}</ref> The [[Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta|Academy of Fine Arts]] and other art galleries hold regular art exhibitions. The [[Government College of Art & Craft|Government College of Art and Craft]], founded in 1864, has been the cradle as well as workplace of eminent artists including [[Abanindranath Tagore]], [[Jamini Roy]], and [[Nandalal Bose]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gcac.edu.in/history.php |title=A journey through 145 years |publisher=Government College of Art and Craft |access-date=29 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220013327/http://gcac.edu.in/history.php |archive-date=20 February 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> The art college was the birthplace of [[Bengal school of art]] that arose as an [[avant garde]] and nationalist movement reacting against the prevalent [[academic art]] styles.<ref name=benartmitter>{{cite book |title=Art and nationalism in colonial India, 1850–1922: occidental orientations |last=Mitter |first=Partha |year= 1994|publisher= Cambridge University Press|location= Cambridge, UK|isbn=9780521443548 |chapter=How the past was salvaged by Swadeshi artists |pages=267–306 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mRTtkri8E0C}}</ref><ref name=benartatlas>{{cite book |title=Atlas of world art |last=Onians |first=John |year= 2004|publisher=Laurence King Publishing |location=London |isbn=9781856693776 |page= 304|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O3h2KfXoOPYC}}</ref><ref name=benarttoi>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/For-many-art-lovers-its-back-to-the-old-school/articleshow/11856353.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508011907/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-12/special-report/31051756_1_bengal-school-bengal-art-bengal-masters|url-status=live|archive-date=8 May 2013| title=For many art lovers, it's back to the old school| last=Ghose | first=Archana Khare | location=New Delhi|date=12 February 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=8 March 2012}}</ref>

== Sports ==
[[File:Eden Gardens 02102016.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Eden Gardens]], Kolkata]]
The people of Kolkata are famous for being sports lovers. Cricket and football can easily be called the life blood of the city. The home town of [[Eden Gardens]] (headquarters of [[Cricket Association of Bengal|CAB]]), the city can boast of an impartial crowd of cricket lovers who cheer for good cricket even when their side is losing. [[Eden Gardens]] is one of the biggest stadiums in the country in terms of capacity and witnessed its first test match from 5 to 8 January 1934.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cricketassociationofbengal.com/edengarden.php|title=The Cricket Association of Bengal|website=cricketassociationofbengal.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref>

==Exhibitions==

[[Kolkata]] is a city of exhibitions and fairs. The International History & Heritage Exhibition organised by [[Sabarna Sangrahashala]] annually in February is an important event where the rich cultural heritage of the land is reflected.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kamdev.faithweb.com/photo2_2.html |title = International History & Heritage Exhibition 2018}}</ref> Apart from the history and heritage of [[India]], the exhibition through displays of rarest artifacts and documents portrays the history, traditions and culture of other nations too. The exhibition attracts visitors from all over the world.<ref>Bangiya Sabarna Katha Kalishetra Kalikatah by Bhabani Roy Choudhury, Manna Publication. {{ISBN|81-87648-36-8}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cinema of West Bengal]]
* [[Music of Bengal]]
* [[Kalighat painting]]

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=40em}}

{{Kolkata topics}}

[[Category:Culture of Kolkata| ]]

Culture of Kolkata - Revision history

AtenaLabsCBDReviews at 07:29, 5 September 2025