Gurusaday Museum
গুরুসদয় সংগ্রহশালা
A museum of Bengal’s folk art: kantha, scrolls, dolls and terracotta.
About Gurusaday Museum
Gurusaday Dutt, a civil servant who founded the Bratachari movement, spent the 1930s collecting the folk art of undivided Bengal from villages: embroidered kanthas, patachitra scrolls, painted pots, wooden dolls, terracotta plaques and stone sculpture. The collection of over three thousand objects was opened as a museum at Joka in 1963. The museum has faced a funding crisis in recent years.
Why visit
The finest collection of Bengal’s kantha and folk painting anywhere.
What to see and do
- Nineteenth-century kanthas
- Patachitra scrolls and Kalighat paintings
- Terracotta temple plaques
Plan your visit
- Area
- Thakurpukur & Joka, Behala & Southwest
- Nearest landmark
- Bratacharigram, Joka, Diamond Harbour Road
- Best time
- Afternoon. October to March is the most comfortable time of year.
- Time needed
- About 1½ hours
- Cost
- Usually under ₹100 a head
- Entry
- Entry is controlled (permit, caretaker, service times or event days). Whether the museum is currently open, and its days, hours and ticket, are not currently verified. Confirm before travelling.
- Metro
- Joka (Purple Line)
- Walking
- Little walking
- Photography
- Photography is restricted.
Tip
Phone ahead: the museum’s opening has been uncertain since its central funding was withdrawn.
Nearby and related places
- BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir: A large carved-stone temple on Diamond Harbour Road beyond Joka.
- State Archaeological Museum: West Bengal’s own archaeology museum, on Diamond Harbour Road.
More guides
- Places in Thakurpukur & Joka
- Museums and galleries in Kolkata
- Markets and shopping streets
- Hidden gems of Kolkata
- Things to do on a rainy day
- Places near a metro station
- All places to visit in Kolkata
Last checked on 2026-10-02. Each place was checked to exist and its position confirmed. Timings, closing days and ticket prices are shown only where known and can change: confirm before you travel.