Kolkata is known for its literary, artistic, and revolutionary heritage; as the former capital of India, it was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought.[181] Kolkata has been called the "City of Furious, Creative Energy"[182] as well as the "cultural [or literary] capital of India".[183][184] The presence of paras, which are neighbourhoods that possess a strong sense of community, is characteristic of Kolkata.[185] Typically, each para has its own community club and, on occasion, a playing field.[185] Residents engage in addas, or leisurely chats, that often take the form of freestyle intellectual conversation.[186][187] The city has a tradition of political graffiti depicting everything from outrageous slander to witty banter and limericks, caricatures, and propaganda.[188][189]
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";[190] however, others are in various stages of decay.[191][192] Established in 1814 as the nation's oldest museum, the Indian Museum houses large collections that showcase Indian natural history and Indian art.[193] 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. TheNational Library of India is the leading public library in the country.
The popularity of commercial theatres in the city has declined since the 1980s.[194]:99[195] Group theatres of Kolkata, a cultural movement that started in the 1940s contrasting with the then-popular commercial theatres, are theatres that are not professional or commercial, and are centres of various experiments in theme, content, and production;[196] group theatres use theproscenium stage to highlight socially relevant messages.[194]:99[197] Chitpur locality of the city houses multiple production companies of jatra, a tradition of folk drama popular in rural Bengal.[198][199] Kolkata is the home of the Bengali cinema industry, dubbed "Tollywood" for Tollygunj, where most of the state's film studios are located.[200] Its long tradition of art films includes globally acclaimed film directors such as Academy Award-winning director Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, and contemporary directors such as Aparna Sen, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, and Rituparno Ghosh.[201]
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Bengali literature was modernised through the works of authors such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.[202] Coupled with social reforms led by Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and others, this constituted a major part of the Bengal Renaissance.[203] The middle and latter parts of the 20th century witnessed the arrival of post-modernism, as well as literary movements such as those espoused by theKallol movement, hungryalists and the little magazines.[204] Large majority of publishers of the city is concentrated in and around College Street, "...a half-mile of bookshops and bookstalls spilling over onto the pavement", selling new and used books.[205]
Kalighat painting originated in 19th century Kolkata as a local style that reflected a variety of themes including mythology and quotidian life.[206] 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.[207] The art college was the birthplace of the Bengal school of art that arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the prevalentacademic art styles in the early 20th century.[208][209] The Academy of Fine Arts and other art galleries hold regular art exhibitions. The city is recognised for its appreciation of rabindrasangeet (songs written by Rabindranath Tagore) and Indian classical music; Bengali popular music, including baul folk ballads, kirtans, and Gajan festival music; and modern music, including Bengali-language adhunik songs.[210][211] Since the early 1990s, new genres have emerged, including one comprising alternative folk–rock Bengali bands.[210] Another new style, jibonmukhi gaan ("songs about life"), is based on realism.[194]:105
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Key elements of Kolkata's cuisine include rice and a fish curry known as machher jhol,[212] which can be accompanied by desserts such as roshogolla,sandesh, and a sweet yoghurt known as mishti dohi. Bengal's large repertoire of seafood dishes includes various preparations of ilish, a fish that is a favourite among Calcuttans. Street foods such as beguni (fried battered eggplant slices), kati roll (flatbread roll with vegetable or chicken, mutton, or egg stuffing),phuchka (a deep-fried crêpe with tamarind sauce) and Indian Chinese cuisine from Chinatown are popular.[213][214][215][216] Sweets play a large part in the diet of Kolkatans—especially at their social ceremonies.[217]
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Though Bengali women traditionally wear the sari, the shalwar kameez and Western attire is gaining acceptance among younger women.[218] Western-style dress has greater acceptance among men, although the traditional dhoti and kurta are seen during festivals. Durga Puja, held in September–October, is Kolkata's most important festival; it is an occasion for glamorous celebrations.[219][220] The Bengali New Year, known as Poila Boishak, as well as the harvest festival of Poush Parbon are among the city's other festivals; also celebrated are Jagaddhatri Puja, Diwali, Saraswati Puja, Eid, Holi, Christmas, and Rath Yatra. Cultural events include the Kolkata Book Fair, the Dover Lane Music Festival, the Kolkata Film Festival, and Nandikar's National Theatre Festival.
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