Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

What to see

1. The Roerich Gallery

   In 1990, Svetoslav Roerich — son of the Russian mystic-painter Nicholas Roerich, husband of Devika Rani, the first lady of Indian cinema — donated 117 paintings to this gallery. Some are his father's luminous Himalayan landscapes, painted during decades of self-imposed exile in the Kullu valley. Others are Svetoslav's own portraits, including studies of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi that echo versions now hanging in India's Parliament. The originals are here, on Kumara Krupa Road, with free admission. That fact alone would justify a visit. But what stops you is the light in Nicholas Roerich's mountains — blues and violets that don't exist in photography, rendered by a man who believed the Himalayas were a portal to something beyond geography. His canvases glow as if lit from within, a trick of pigment layering that art historians still argue about. Stand close enough and you'll see the brushstrokes are unexpectedly rough, almost impatient.

2. The Kejriwal Collection

   H.K. Kejriwal first saved the Parishath from financial collapse in the 1960s. Thirty-five years later, in 1995, he gave it something harder to part with: his family's entire art collection, spanning 1800 to 1950. Amrita Sher-Gil hangs beside Jamini Roy. Rabindranath Tagore's paintings — lesser known than his poetry but no less strange — share wall space with early works by M.F. Husain and S.H. Raza, made before either became a household name. The collection reads like a compressed history of modern Indian art, assembled by someone who bought what moved him rather than what the market told him to. Sher-Gil's figures carry a melancholy that reproductions flatten; seen at actual scale, her colour palette is darker and more deliberate than you expect. The Tagore works are the real surprise — spidery, almost hallucinatory ink drawings from a Nobel laureate better known for verse.

3. Shadow Puppets and the Full Campus Walk

   Secretary M.S. Nanjunda Rao spent years collecting Togalu Gombeyaata shadow puppets from Karnataka's villages as the tradition was dying around him. His private obsession became an entire gallery — translucent leather figures, some taller than a child, pinned against backlit panels so you can see the intricate cutwork that once threw stories onto courtyard walls. The puppet gallery sits within a 13-acre campus that holds 18 galleries in total, plus a sculpture garden, an open-air theatre, and a graphics studio where printmakers still work. Thirteen acres in central Bengaluru is roughly the size of six football pitches — an improbable amount of green space within walking distance of the CBD. Give yourself two hours. Start with Roerich, cross through the sculpture courtyard where stone and bronze figures sit between rain trees, then end at the folk art galleries. The canteen sells filter coffee. You'll want it by then.

Photo Gallery

Tips for visitors

• Photography Rules

  Photography is generally permitted in the galleries, but flash is prohibited — the Roerich oils and Kejriwal-collection works on paper are light-sensitive. Tripods and professional equipment require prior written permission from the Parishath office.

• Best Time to Visit

  Weekday mornings are nearly empty — you can stand alone with a Svetoslav Roerich painting of the Himalayas, which is the way they should be seen. Avoid Sunday afternoons, when art students and families fill the galleries. January brings Chitra Santhe, the annual open-air art fair stretching along Kumara Krupa Road — around 1,000 artists sell work directly, and the entire neighborhood becomes a gallery without walls.

• Eat Nearby

  CTR (Central Tiffin Room) in Malleshwaram, a 10-minute auto ride northwest, serves what many consider Bangalore's best butter dosa — expect a queue, budget ₹150 for two. For a sit-down meal, Karavalli at the Gateway Hotel on Residency Road (mid-range, about ₹1,200 for two) does coastal Karnataka cuisine that pairs well with an afternoon of Karnataka art.

• Combine With Nearby

  The Bangalore Palace is barely a kilometre east — a 15-minute walk through Jayamahal. Pair the two for a half-day that covers Karnataka's artistic heritage and its royal pretensions. The Government Museum on Kasturba Road is another 2 km south, giving you three institutions in a single afternoon if you're determined.

• Don't Miss the Puppets

  Most visitors head straight for the Roerich paintings and skip the Togalu Gombeyaata shadow puppet gallery. That's a mistake. Secretary Nanjunda Rao collected these translucent leather figures as the tradition was dying out — some are taller than a child, depicting Ramayana scenes with perforated patterns that throw extraordinary shadows. The gallery is tucked away and easy to miss; ask at the entrance desk for directions.

Frequently asked