Maa Durga holding Trishul in Kalighat by Uttam Chitrakar

This Kalighat painting by Uttam Chitrakar is a unique and captivating portrayal of Maa Durga. Originating near the Kalighat Temple in Kolkata, West Bengal in the 19th-century, this folk tradition famously integrated sacred mythological figures with contemporary urban motifs, occasionally depicting deities resting in domestic or colonial-era settings using sweeping brushwork and a simplified color palette.

At the center of this composition is the Goddess Durga, shown in a relaxed yet powerful seated posture. Her countenance features the classic Kalighat almond-shaped eyes, an elegant nose ring, long flowing black hair and a prominent third eye (trinetra) on her forehead, symbolizing her cosmic energy. She is draped in a light brown sari with fine, close-set horizontal white stripes, a hallmark technical trait of the Kalighat school. In a departure from her standard multi-armed warrior depictions, she is shown here with two arms, elegantly leaning back while holding her primary weapon Trishula (trident) diagonally across her body, demonstrating her perpetual readiness to protect the cosmos even in a moment of repose.

This artwork uniquely places the goddess on a piece of furniture resembling a traditional colonial-style armchair rather than a celestial throne or her vahana (vehicle). The chair is rendered in dark blue and yellow, complete with decorative tassels hanging from the front corners. Resting directly behind her back is a large, rounded cushion in a deep green shade with red concentric rings at the sides, adding a touch of aristocratic comfort and domestic warmth to the divine presence.

The background is a flat, textured beige-cream surface, a definitive technique in the Kalighat tradition that highlights the outline of the chair and the silhouette of the goddess. The painting features the Kalighat school’s signature economy of line, utilizing broad, continuous strokes to define the fluid shape of the goddess's posture and fine white detailing to contour her garments. This work beautifully captures the essence of the Kalighat tradition, seamlessly merging the supreme majesty of the Devi with the spirited, expressive energy of Bengal’s regional folk heritage.

Each of our artworks are hand painted by master artists across India. We provide a digital authentication certificate with this artwork signed by the artist which will be sent over email after 3-4 days of delivery of the artwork.

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Due to high demand for artworks from this artist, the delivery timelines are currently 1-3 weeks.

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All artworks on the website are hand painted from scratch by our master artists. This makes every artwork absolutely unique and the actual colour and overall artwork may vary slightly from the artwork image posted here.