Culture of Kolkata

Last updated

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, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Geir Heierstad writes that Bengalis tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature. [1]

Contents

Arts

Chau Mask in Kolkata Theatre Museum Folk Gallery Theatre Museum Kolkata, Chhau Mask, Folk Gallery,.jpg
Chau Mask in Kolkata Theatre Museum Folk Gallery

The city has a long tradition of commercial theatres and 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. [2] [3] 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. [2] [4]

Notable group theatres include the Little Theatre Group, Gandharba, Calcutta Theatre, Nandikar, Bahurupee etc. and movements like the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). [5] Famous drama and theatrics personalities include Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay, Utpal Dutta, Rudraprasad Sengupta and Shambhu Mitra.

Architecture

An exhibition of painting and sculpture is going on at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. Sudrak - Painting & Sculpture Exhibition - Kolkata 2012-10-03 0544.JPG
An exhibition of painting and sculpture is going on at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata.

Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architectural motifs. Several well-maintained major buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage structures"; [6] however, others are in various stages of decay. [7] [8] Established in 1814 as the nation's oldest museum, the Indian Museum houses large collections that showcase Indian natural history and Indian art. [9] Marble Palace is a classic example of a European mansion that was built in the city. The Victoria Memorial, a 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, goddesses, and other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of themes including quotidian life. [10] The Academy of Fine Arts and other art galleries hold regular art exhibitions. The 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. [11] 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. [12] [13] [14]

Sports

Eden Gardens, Kolkata Eden Gardens 02102016.jpg
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 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. [15]

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. [16] 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. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata</span> Capital of West Bengal, India

Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary financial and commercial centre of eastern and northeastern India. Kolkata is the seventh most populous city in India with an estimated city proper population of 4.5 million (0.45 crore) while its metropolitan region Kolkata Metropolitan Area is third most populous metropolitan region of India with a metro population of over 15 million. Kolkata is regarded by many sources as the cultural capital of India and a historically and culturally significant city in the historic region of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian art</span>

Indian Art consists of a variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk. Geographically, it spans the entire Indian subcontinent, including what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and at times eastern Afghanistan. A strong sense of design is characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern and traditional forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nandikar</span>

Nandikar is a theatre group in India. The group has its headquarters in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, but works around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalighat painting</span> School of Indian painting

Kalighat painting, Kalighat Patachitra, or Kalighat Pat is a style of Indian paintings which originated in the 19th century. It was first practiced by a group of specialized scroll painters known as the patuas in the vicinity of the Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata, in the present Indian state of West Bengal. Composed of bold outlines, vibrant colour tones, and minimal background details, these paintings and drawings were done on both hand-made and machine manufactured paper. The paintings depicted mythological stories, figures of Hindu gods and goddesses, as well as scenes from everyday life and society, thereby recording a socio-cultural landscape which was undergoing a series of transitions during the 19th and early 20th century, when the Kalighat pat reached its pinnacle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalighat</span> Neighborhood of Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Kalighat is a locality of Kolkata (Calcutta), in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. One of the oldest neighbourhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated — with a history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East India</span> Group of Eastern Indian states

East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Kolkata has many festivals throughout the year. The largest and most magnificently celebrated festival of the city is Durga Puja, and it features colourful pandals, decorative idols of Hindu goddess Durga and her family, lighting decorations and fireworks. Other major festivals are Diwali, Kali Puja, Holi, Saraswati Puja, Poush Parbon, Poila Boishakh, Christmas, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behala</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Behala is a locality of South West Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Behala is a part of Kolkata Municipal Corporation area. It is broadly spread across Ward Nos. 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131 and 132 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and is divided into two Vidhan Sabha constituencies: Behala Paschim and Behala Purba. This area is served by the South West Division of Kolkata Police also known as Behala Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata</span> Building in Cathedral Road, Kolkata

The Academy of Fine Arts, in Kolkata is one of the oldest fine arts societies in India. The galleries of the Academy provide a whopping 6,300 square feet of space and has an auditorium, a conference centre, and several important and priceless collections of paintings, textiles, etc.

There are several theories about the origin of Kolkata, erstwhile Calcutta in English, the name of the capital of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Bengal</span> Overview of the Bengali culture

The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura, where they form the dominant ethnolinguistic group and the Bengali language is the official and primary language. Bengal has a recorded history of 1,400 years. After the partition, Bangladeshi culture became distinct from the mainstream Bengali culture, thus their culture evolved differently, still there are many commonalities in Bangladeshi culture & West Bengali culture which connects them both together as Bengali culture.

Sabarna Roy Choudhury was a Zamindar family of Mughal Bengal. They controlled significant swathes of territory, including what would later become Kolkata, prior to the sale of zamindari rights in 1698 to the East India Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalighat Kali Temple</span> Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali in India

Kalighat Kali Temple is a Hindu temple in Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas in eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikash Bhattacharjee</span> Indian artist (1940–2006)

Bikash Bhattacharjee was an Indian painter from Kolkata in West Bengal. Through his paintings, he depicted the life of the average middle-class Bengali – their aspirations, superstitions, hypocrisy and corruption, and even the violence that is endemic to Kolkata. He worked in oils, acrylics, water-colours, conté and collage. In 2003, he was awarded the highest award of Lalit Kala Akademi, India's National Academy of Arts, the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalighat Milan Sangha F.C.</span> Indian association football club

Kalighat Milan Sangha Football Club is an Indian multi-sports club based in Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal. Its football team currently competes in the Premier Division of Calcutta Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Group theatre of Kolkata</span> Tradition in theatres in the city of Kolkata

The group theatre of Kolkata refers to a tradition in theatres in the Indian city Kolkata, which developed in the 1940s as an alternative to entertainment-oriented theatres. As opposed to commercial theatres, group theatre is "a theatre that is not professional or commercial", characterized by its tendency for experimentation in theme, content and production, and its aim of using the proscenium stage to highlight social messages, rather than having primarily making-money objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. Siva Kumar</span> Contemporary Indian art historian art-critic and curator (born 1956)

Raman Siva Kumar, known as R. Siva Kumar, is an Indian contemporary art historian, art critic, and curator. His major research has been in the area of early Indian modernism with special focus on the Santiniketan School. He has written several important books, lectured widely on modern Indian art and contributed articles to prestigious international projects such as the Art Journal, Grove Art Online or The Dictionary of Art, Oxford University Press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durga Puja in Kolkata</span> Hindu festival

Durga Puja in Kolkata is an annual festival celebrated magnificently marking the worship of the Hindu mother goddess Durga. This festival is the biggest festival in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.

DAG, previously known as Delhi Art Gallery, is an art house having galleries in India and New York. Started in 1993 in Hauz Khas by Rama Anand, DAG showcases modern Indian artists like Raja Ravi Verma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, SH Raza among others.

References

  1. ↑ Sinha P (1990). "Kolkata and the Currents of History". In Chaudhuriय़यकुहच S. (ed.). Kolkata – The Living City. Volume 1: The Past. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
    Cited by: Heierstad G (2003). "Nandikar: Staging Globalisation in Kolkata and Abroad" (PDF). University of Oslo, Norway. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF Format) on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 26 April 2006.
  2. 1 2 Bhattacharya, Malini (2005). "Culture". In Bagchi, Jasodhara (ed.). The changing status of women in West Bengal, 1970–2000: the challenge ahead. New Delhi: Sage Publications. pp. 99–100. ISBN   9780761932420.
  3. ↑ Zarilli, Phillip; McConachie, Bruce; Williams, Gary Jay; Sorgenfrei, Carol Fisher (2010) [2006]. Williams, Gary Jay (ed.). Theatre Histories: An Introduction. Abingdon, UK: Rotledge. pp. 429–430. ISBN   9780415462235.
  4. ↑ De, Hemchhaya (31 May 2009). "Chowringhee revisited". The Telegraph. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2012. ...most people say that Bengali commercial theatre died in the 1980s...
  5. ↑ Ghosh, Parimal (2012). "Rise and fall of Calcutta's group theatre: the end of a political dream" (PDF). Economic & Political Weekly. 47 (10). Economic and Political Weekly: 36–42. ISSN   0012-9976 . Retrieved 9 March 2012.[ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Graded list of heritage buildings" (PDF). Kolkata Municipal Corporation. 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Mukherjee Pandey, Jhimli (4 September 2011). "Heritage buildings need restoration, not mere repairs". The Times of India . New Delhi. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Out of elite list, cradle of Bengal Renaissance falling apart". The Times of India . New Delhi. TNN. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Mandal, Caesar (14 August 2010). "Gardeners to guard museum?". The Times of India . New Delhi. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  10. ↑ Chaitanya, Krishna (1994). A history of Indian painting: the modern period. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. pp. 112–118. ISBN   9788170173106.
  11. ↑ "A journey through 145 years". Government College of Art and Craft. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  12. ↑ Mitter, Partha (1994). "How the past was salvaged by Swadeshi artists". Art and nationalism in colonial India, 1850–1922: occidental orientations. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 267–306. ISBN   9780521443548.
  13. ↑ Onians, John (2004). Atlas of world art. London: Laurence King Publishing. p. 304. ISBN   9781856693776.
  14. ↑ Ghose, Archana Khare (12 February 2012). "For many art lovers, it's back to the old school". The Times of India . New Delhi. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  15. ↑ "The Cricket Association of Bengal". cricketassociationofbengal.com. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  16. ↑ "International History & Heritage Exhibition 2018".
  17. ↑ Bangiya Sabarna Katha Kalishetra Kalikatah by Bhabani Roy Choudhury, Manna Publication. ISBN   81-87648-36-8
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.