Fourth edition of Akshar Mahotsav concludes at the National Museum with a celebration of India’s script culture

Akshar Mahotsav 2025 concluded at the National Museum, New Delhi, after three days of immersive workshops, academic sessions, demonstrations and cultural experiences dedicated to Indian scripts and calligraphic traditions. Presented by the National Museum, New Delhi in collaboration with the Calligraphy Foundation, the festival was held under the theme "Letters as Pillars of Culture" and drew enthusiastic participation from artists, museum professionals, Children from NGOs, pre-booked school groups, educators, designers and families.

The festival opened on 14 November in the gracious presence of Shri Gurmeet Singh Chawla, Director General, National Museum, and Dr Meenakshi Jolly, Additional Director General, National Museum. The inauguration was led by Chief Guest Prof. (Dr) Buddha Rashmi Mani, former Director General of the National Museum, and Guest of Honour Shri Inderjeet Singh, Director of the Gyanbharatam Mission. The dignitaries inaugurated the Sulekhan Kala Pradarshani, a curatorial initiative of the museum and Calligraphy Foundation which brought together over 100 contemporary calligraphic artworks from India, displayed alongside carefully selected manuscripts and inscriptions from the National Museum Collection. The dialogue between historical artifacts and modern creative practices formed the heart of the exhibition, bridging the ancient and the contemporary, the scholarly and the artistic.

Day 1 also featured workshops on monoline calligraphy, expressive brush lettering, dip pen foundations and Devanagari explorations. The Script Quest Treasure Hunt and the CTTP Batch 1 Felicitation Ceremony added vibrancy to the day, while creative zones such as pottery, clay lettering, caricature, jewellery making, miniature painting and scrapbook art engaged visitors of all ages.

Day 2 on 15 November focused on academic enrichment and cultural understanding. The day began with Prof. Manish Arora's session "Calligraphy in Academics," followed by a practical Devanagari workshop led by mentor Raghunita Gupta,Neelakshi Thakur and Avni Khurana. At the Inscription Gallery, Komal Pande & Abhishek Vardhan led a session on the evolution of writing tools and script forms. Participants then engaged in "Historic Scripts Reimagined," an activity that encouraged the creative reinterpretation of ancient scripts. A major highlight was Sudeep Gandhi's workshop "Form-Play with Devanagari Letterforms," which introduced participants to experimental methods of exploring structure and movement within Devanagari. The day also offered hands-on creative activities including mandala art, type play, carved lettering, sign painting and miniature art, strengthening the bridge between theory and practice.

The final day on 16 November brought thoughtful reflection, technical exploration and artistic performance. Prof. G. V. Sreekumar opened the day with his session "Calligraphy as a multisensory experience," highlighting the meditative and sensory dimensions of writing. This was followed by a tool exploration workshop by Saurabh Kesari, and a panel discussion on the "Relevance of Calligraphy in the Age of AI and Immediacy," which gathered valuable perspectives from contemporary practice and design education. The annual publication of The Calligraphy Foundation was launched during the afternoon session. Renowned designer Mahendra Patel then presented "Form and Function in Indian Typographic Design," sharing deep insights from his distinguished career. Later, master calligrapher Achyut Palav captivated the audience with "Script in Motion," a dynamic live demonstration. The festival concluded with the interdisciplinary performance "Dance, Paint and Script in Harmony," followed by the Valedictory and Certificate Ceremony.

Akshar Mahotsav 2025 closed with heartfelt appreciation from participants and visitors. Over three days, the festival reaffirmed the significance of calligraphy as a cultural, educational and artistic practice, and highlighted its continuing relevance in shaping identity, creativity and contemporary expression.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

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