A premier museum of national importance, Asutosh Museum of Indian Art is one of the best places to study Kolkata's fascination with art. It boasts a rich collection of paintings, scrolls, coins, sculptures, folk-art objects, woodcuts, textiles and other decorative arts from all over the country. Housing about 25,000 exhibits, it is a university museum. A highlight is the Yakshini sculpture with Panchachuda that can be dated back to the 1st century AD. You can also watch out for a uniquely illustrated paper manuscript from Nepal. This can be dated back to 1105 AD. Don't miss the Ramayana manuscript believed to be written by Tulsidas.

It features some of the earliest styles of Pat paintings. It can be dated back to 1772 AD. The museum has also been publishing books on preservation along with reports of excavations. There are handbooks on Bengal sculpture, terracotta and coins as well. Set of postcards in colour and monochrome are also made available for sale. The Asutosh Museum of Indian Art also served as the base and working laboratory for a new course – a Postgraduate Diploma in Museology – in 1959.