On Wednesday, 18th February 2026, the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems organized a special guest lecture titled ‘Evolution of Art and Architecture in Bengal: From Sindhu-Sarasvati Period to the Modern Day’ by Sri Halley Goswami, an independent scholar and artist from Kolkata.
The lecture highlighted the rich legacy of architecture, sculpture, and painting of Bengal starting from the Sindhu–Sarasvati civilization, enumerating the zenith of Classical Bengali art under the Pala-Sena rulers. The speaker also traced the flourishing of terracotta temples and the tradition of Patachitra in later Bengal followed by the emergence of the Bengal School, led by pioneers such as Abanindranath Tagore that drew inspiration from the Ajanta murals and various Indian and international styles.
The training of the speaker as an advocate, his devotion to the study and practice of classical painting along with his expertise in the history and development of Bengal’s art presented itself in the smooth narrative style in which the entire lecture was driven as well as the erudition with which the questions were addressed in a very engaging Q/A session that had students, artists and academicians in active participation.
The event organized to highlight the extended canvas of Indian Knowledge Systems provided a lot of food for thought and opened doors to a dialogue on evolution of art and architecture in India amidst students and academicians at Chanakya University.