The opening ceremony of “CHITPUR CHRONICLES: A Journey Through Sacred Imagery (Oldest & Rarest Chitpur Lithographs)” by MATI Management of Art Treasures of India was a resounding success, drawing a captivated audience and setting the stage for a remarkable celebration of India’s visual heritage. Dr. Anand Burdhan, a faculty member at Ambedkar University, Delhi, and President of the Museums Association of India, inaugurated the show. This unique collection offers a rare look into an important part of India’s visual history, where traditional religious art meets modern print technology. It includes some of the oldest and rarest Chitpur lithographs, many over 100 years old. The collection began to be acquired in the late 1980s and belongs to Sidharth Tagore.
These lithographs are now mainly found in private collections or museums, and it is rare to see them on display. Sidharth Tagore explains, “The rise of Chitpur Lithographs happened during the Indian Renaissance, especially in Bengal. Unlike traditional hand-painted religious icons, lithography allowed for mass production, making religious images more accessible to a larger audience. The Chitpur area in Kolkata became a center for this printing revolution, attracting artists and entrepreneurs who wanted to meet the growing demand for affordable religious images.”
The collection has more than 25 Chitpur lithographs. The opening event was attended by people like Nupur Kundu, photographer Sanjay Das, Shovin Bhattacharya, Shampa Bhattacharya, and Sridhar Iyer.