Welcome to the Biggest
Festival of Calligraphy in India!

Callifest India - 7th Edition, Mumbai

Call for Entries

13-17 Jan 2027

About Callifest 2027

Callifest, an event organised by Achyut Palav Calligraphy Foundation, has been conceptualised and curated by Master Calligrapher Padma Shri Achyut Palav. There have been 6 successful editions till date and this year too, it promises to showcase some of the best works in various Indian scripts by calligraphers from across the country. Callifest 2027, being held in Mumbai, is dedicated to bring into light the potential of Indian scripts and the beauty, legacy and culture of Indian languages.

It is a platform for the calligraphy fraternity to display their creativity, interact with peers and gain pertinent knowledge from experts, scholars and master penmen. Exhibits, lectures, demonstrations and presentations by experts and stalwarts from the field of calligraphy, design and arts who specialize in various aspects like materials, techniques, innovative applications etc. are the key highlights of Callifest 2027

It is a must visit event for all to experience the uniqueness and glory of Indian scripts and languages. Entry to Callifest is free for everyone.

Check 2027 Themes

What Callifest India focuses on?

Art

Callifest displays potential of calligraphy through commercial application across media and how it can be explored as a viable career option. It demonstrates the ability of the calligraphy to blend with other art forms (Fusion with performing arts)

Culture

The event promotes learning of popular and lesser-known Indian Scripts while bringing forth the cultural heritage of Indian calligraphy. In the process, it also rekindles the popularity of reading and draws the attention to the literature in various Indian languages.

Education

Callifest showcases the strength of scripts and calligraphy as a versatile art and encourages young school children to take up art especially calligraphy.

Awareness

It creates awareness about the aesthetic aspects of Indian scripts and languages, encourages viewing of a script as an element of design / art and also emphasizes the importance of proper preservation, documentation of past and current creations, artifacts and specimens of calligraphy.

Callifest displays potential of calligraphy through commercial application across media and how it can be explored as a viable career option.

It demonstrates the ability of the calligraphy to blend with other art forms like fusion with performing arts.

Art

The event promotes learning of popular and lesser-known Indian scripts while bringing forth the cultural heritage of Indian calligraphy. In the process, it also rekindles the popularity of reading and draws the attention to the literature in various Indian languages.

Culture

Callifest showcases the strength of scripts and calligraphy as a versatile art and encourages youth & school children to take up art especially calligraphy.

Education

It creates awareness about the aesthetic aspects of Indian scripts and languages, encourages viewing of a script as an element of design / art and also emphasizes the importance of

proper preservation, documentation of past and current creations, artifacts and specimens

of calligraphy.

Awareness

Speakers at Callifest 2027

View All Speakers

Suresh Waghmore

Calligrapher, Visual Designer

Suresh S. Waghmore is a Bengaluru-based calligrapher, visual artist, designer, and handmade pen maker known for his contribution to the revival and promotion of Kannada calligraphy. A graduate in Applied Art from the College of Fine Arts, Davanagere, he began his journey studying Western calligraphic styles before dedicating his practice to exploring the artistic possibilities of the Kannada script.

His work blends traditional Kannada letterforms with contemporary calligraphic techniques, creating a distinctive visual language that bridges heritage and modern expression. He is also a co-founder of Akshara Singarothsava, an initiative promoting Kannada calligraphy through exhibitions, workshops, and demonstrations.

His work has been exhibited in India and internationally, including Singapore and South Korea. He received the Senior Fellowship from CCRT, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Top Excellence Award at the 22nd Cheongju JIKJI & Hunminjeongeum World Calligraphy Exhibition, South Korea. He continues to promote handwritten culture through art, education, and experimentation.

Salva Rasool

Contemporary Calligraphy Artist

Salva Rasool is a Mumbai based contemporary calligraphy artist with a deep rooted passion for Urdu and Arabic scripts. A graduate of Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, she brings her understanding of typography and design into her calligraphic practice.

Her work explores the beauty and versatility of Urdu calligraphy through a fusion of traditional forms and contemporary expression. She combines calligraphy with mixed media, textures and unconventional materials, creating visually engaging works that retain the soul of the script while giving it a distinctly modern identity.

Her work has been exhibited internationally across the USA, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Singapore, Indonesia and South Africa, as well as extensively in India. Her practice celebrates calligraphy as a living tradition and evolving visual language.

Nikheel Aphale

Calligrapher

Nikheel Aphale, a Mumbai-born calligraphy artist reimagines the Indian script Devanagari in contemporary abstract art. In his work, alphabets move beyond their linguistic context and transformed into visual entities, becoming powerful vessels for global conversations around spirituality and humanity.

A post-graduated from the National Institute of Design (NID), he has held solo exhibitions and participated in many art shows, including a special project in collaboration with Hampi Art Labs and the India Paper Triennale, Kalligraphie, a travelling exhibition in France, the One Asia Project, Taipei, and prestigious exhibitions in South Korea—the Asian Calligraphy Festival, the World Calligraphy Biennale, and the Jikji International Calligraphy Exhibition, where he received the Excellence in Calligraphy award.

Sanjana Chatlani

Calligrapher & Designer

Sanjana Chatlani is a calligrapher, designer, and the founder of The Bombay Lettering Company, a boutique calligraphy & design studio built around a lifelong curiosity for words, craft, and the beauty of things made by hand.

What began as an exploration of lettering in 2017 has evolved into a multidisciplinary practice spanning calligraphy, stationery, design, illustration, and experiential artistry. From ink on paper to glass, wood, acrylic, and engraved surfaces, Sanjana constantly explores new ways for words to exist, feel, and connect.

Through The Bombay Lettering Company, she continues to bring together craftsmanship, curiosity and storytelling, creating work that feels personal, intentional, and unmistakably human.

View All Speakers

Event Schedule

13 Jan 2027 - Wednesday
2:30pm - 6:00pm
Opening
14 Jan 2027 - Thursday
9:30am - 11:00am
Nikheel Aphale
The fine art of calligraphy

(Modern Devanagari)
11:00am - 12:30pm
Jinal Shah
Gujarati Script & Technology
12:30pm-1:30pm
LUNCH BREAK
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Saurabh Kesari
BEYOND THE ALPHABETS (Modern Technique in Calligraphy)
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Salva Rasool
Urdu Calligraphy Through the Artist’s Eye
4:30pm - 6:00pm
TEA BREAK
6:00pm onwards
Open Demo Kalangan
15 Jan 2027 - Friday
9:30am - 11:00am
Abhishek Vardhan Singh
Brahmi Pramana (Ashokan Brahmi)
11:00am - 12:30pm
Dilbagh Singh
Marks, Movement & the Making of a Visual Language (Experimentation)
12:30pm-1:30pm
LUNCH BREAK
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Suresh Waghmore
Kannada Script Caligraphy
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Sanjeev Joshi
Calligraphy on Fabric (Fashion Calligraphy)
4:30pm - 6:00pm
TEA BREAK
6:00pm onwards
Open Demo Kalangan
16 Jan 2027 - Saturday
9:30am - 11:00am
Dr. Manohar Desai
Bharat Ki Lekhan Samagri (Indian Lettering Instrument)
11:00am - 12:30pm
Lalit Maurya
Roman & Devanagari: Modern Calligraphy
12:30pm-1:30pm
LUNCH BREAK
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Ravi Kumar
Trails of Ink: A Motorcycle Journey into Himalayan Scripts (Tibetan script)
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Vinoth Kumar
Thamizh (Tamil) Calligraphy
4:30pm - 6:00pm
TEA BREAK
6:00pm onwards
Open Demo Kalangan
17 Jan 2027 - Sunday
9:30am - 11:00am
Sachin Shah
Experimentation in Roman Script
11:00am - 12:30pm
Sanjana Chatlani
Tools & Techniques