- It originated in the 19th century in West Bengal, India, in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple, Kalighat, Calcutta
- From the depiction of Hindu gods, god, and other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of subjects, including many depictions of everyday life
- Paintings on the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is also quite common in this form of painting
- Contemporary events like crime were also the subject of many paintings.
- The artists also chose to portray secular themes and personalities and in the process played a role in the Independence movement. They painted historic characters like Rani Lakshmibai, and Duldul the famous horse of Imam Hussain of Karbala.
- The use of water colours on mill paper, with brushes made of calf and squirrel hair is characteristic of this school of painting.
These simple paintings and drawings, which could easily be reproduced by lithography influenced even modern artists like the late Jamini Roy
Figure: An example of Kalighat painting