Kalighat painting or kalighat pat is an art form that developed in the early 19th century in the vicinity of the famous Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata. These are practiced by artists called patuas, who documented Bengali lifestyle, from the actions of gods and goddesses to the frailties of the Calcutta babus, in these paintings. The main theme of the art was housewives defending themselves with broomsticks, women playing tabla (a small pair of drums), bina (a string instrument) and some of them dressing up. The dominating scenes are those from religious and mythological stories. One can also find pictures of beasts and birds, along with those of historical figures like Rani Lakshmibai. Eventually, naturally coloured woodworks and lithography also came up, inspired by kalighat pat. The process of crafting these paintings is generally a teamwork, with the head patua doing the detailing and the helpers finishing up the rest of the work. Watercolours and vegetable colours are generally used for these paintings. While some pats are made of clay, others are made of paper. The clay pats usually feature gods and goddesses or figures of men and women. These are burnt and then painted white with ghusum soil, found in ponds, which is mixed with the gum of marmelos, and applied on the pat. Varnishing is done with boiled tamarind seeds that add to the shine of the paintings. The paper pats are usually based on ancient scriptures and are shaped according to the length of the stories. They are made of cotton pulp or art paper, and are painted with vegetable colours. When the painting is ready, thin strips of cloth are pasted behind them. Brushes made of goat's hair are used for painting.

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