Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Asit Kumar Haldar’s Paintings Bring India’s History Alive Again
Asit Kumar Haldar was an Indian artist who painted important stories from India’s past.
His grandson, Sandip Mukherjee, showed people some of these paintings.
The paintings are part of a book called Indian Culture at a Glance.
The book includes stories about Mohenjodaro, Buddhism, kings, poets, reformers and freedom-era figures.
It also shows events from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Haldar once painted a fiery version of the goddess Saraswati for Rabindranath Tagore.
Tagore liked it so much that he wrote a song about his feelings.
Haldar’s family is restoring the book and hopes to publish it again.
Asit Kumar Haldar’s grandson previewed the artist’s out-of-print book, Indian Culture at a Glance.
The book uses paintings and text to depict 30 important episodes from Indian history.
It covers subjects ranging from the Mohenjodaro civilisation and ancient literature to Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.
Haldar was the first principal of Kala Bhavana at Visva-Bharati University and a major figure in Indian art.
The family is restoring a surviving copy and plans to re-release the book for public viewing.
- Who
- Artist Asit Kumar Haldar, his grandson Sandip Mukherjee, Rabindranath Tagore and residents of New Town Heights are central to the account.
- What
- A preview was held of Haldar’s illustrated history book Indian Culture at a Glance, alongside an anecdote about his painting of fiery Saraswati.
- When
- The event was held around Haldar’s birth anniversary on September 10; the book was originally prepared for publication in 1947 and released by the Uttar Pradesh government in the 1960s.
- Where
- The preview took place at New Town Heights; Haldar’s work was associated with Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan.
- Why
- Haldar’s family wants to restore and re-release the book to bring his paintings and his interpretation of Indian history back into public view.
- Artist
- Asit Kumar Haldar
- Book
- Indian Culture at a Glance
- Historical scope
- From the Mohenjodaro civilisation to Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore
- Original publication plan
- Written and illustrated for publication in 1947
- Later release
- Released by the Uttar Pradesh government in the 1960s
- Institutional role
- First principal of Kala Bhavana, the fine arts division of Visva-Bharati University
- Planned action
- The family is restoring a surviving copy and plans to re-release the book