Ehsaas-e-Qalam Aur Pashm Hosts Unique Cultural Confluence of Calligraphy, Pashmina, and Hindustani Classical Music

Ehsaas-e-Qalam aur Pashm, a collaborative cultural initiative by QCCT, India International Centre (IIC) and EHSAAS, will be inaugurated on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 at 6:00 PM at the Main Art Gallery, 2nd Floor, Kamla Devi Complex, India International Centre (IIC), Lodhi Road, New Delhi. The exhibition will be open to the public from January 29th to February 8th, 2026.

Ehsaas-e-Qalam aur Pashm is a multidisciplinary exhibition that brings together calligraphy, Pashmina Shawls and Hindustani classical music on a single platform. The initiative comprises of a calligraphy solo exhibition by Qamar Dagar, curated by Manisha Gawade and Pashmina shawls by Ehsaas, and Hindustani Classical Dhrupad music by Ustaad Wasifuddin Dagar, Padma Shri awardee. The event includes a documentary on all three subjects curated and conceptualised by Manisha Gawade featuring Usaad Wasif Uddin Dagar, Qamar Dagar and Senior visual artists including Anki Bhutia, Manisha Gawade, Vimmi Indra, Sonaali Durga Chaudhri, Durga Kainthola, Shridhar Iyer, Niladri Paul, Prof. Niren Sengupta, Priyendra Shukla and Sculptor Gagan Vij, creating a collective dialogue between visual art, craft, music and cultural scholarship. The urdu-Hindi script by Safiya Dagar, voice over by Hurmat Ali Khan, graphics by Abhijeet Kumar and audio video photography by Umesh Verma.

The calligraphy works by Qamar Dagar are created using inks, acrylics and the traditional qalam, reflecting a nuanced engagement with language, materiality and form. Her practice centres on the meaning of words and their pictorial interpretation, where words are not merely written but imagined and experienced. Concepts such as Noor or Anjaam are approached as living presences — ideas with which the artist develops an intimate relationship before translating them visually. Lines, strokes and shapes are intuitively augmented, guided by emotion and contemplation rather than fixed structure.

Deeply inspired by good music, philosophy, musical notes and other art forms, Dagar's calligraphy carries an inherent rhythm and musicality. While working with the qalam, she becomes acutely aware of the interplay between opacity and transparency, discovering layers of expression within each stroke. Letters and alphabets are stylised almost as human forms — some richly embellished, others sparse and translucent — creating compositions that echo human relationships, presence and vulnerability.

Ustaad Wasif Uddin Dagar (Padma Shri Awardee), who represent the twentieth unbroken generation of stalwarts in Dagar Gharana known for their dedication to Dhrupad, an ancient form of classical music. Also the president of Dhrupad Society will be giving a vocal performance of the occasion in front of an invited audience from the world of art and culture and senior officials of important multinationals.

Conceived and curated by Manisha Gawade- an internationally renowned curator, artist and art columnist, founder of Ehsaas. Ehsaas-e-Qalam aur Pashm is envisioned as a conservation programme for Pashmina shawls, addressing the urgent challenges facing this historic art form. The cycle of poor demand, diminishing numbers of weavers and karigars, and declining Pashmina wool production has had a detrimental impact on the craft, placing it at risk of eventual extinction. Through this endeavour, Manisha Gawade has consistently worked to unite eminent artists, senior fashion designers and cultural practitioners, bringing weavers and artisans to the forefront while raising awareness about the need to protect and revive this national heritage.

Speaking about the initiative, curator Manisha Gawade says, “Pashmina is our national pride and a living legacy of extraordinary craftsmanship. Through Ehsaas-e-Qalam aur Pashm, my intention is to create a meaningful platform where art, calligraphy and Hindustani music walk hand in hand to highlight the urgency of conserving this dying tradition. We must do everything possible to support the weavers and karigars who are the true keepers of this heritage. We must save it before it's too late. The combined arts, including visual arts, music, dance, theatre as a whole also deserves more attention than being given by our nation, we have to understand that without art and culture the civilisation or the nation has no roots and as artists we will all dismission as a community without the support of the government and the people of India. We need more bodies like the IIC to come forward and join hands with the artists”

Qamar Dagar, Calligraphy Artist, says: “Calligraphy to me begins with listening — to the word, its meaning, its silence. When I work with inks, acrylics and the qalam, I imagine words as entities that have life in them. Some letters emerge adorned, others remain transparent, much like people. Through this process, language becomes visual, musical and deeply personal.”

Ustaad Wasifuddin Dagar, Hindustani Classical Dhrupad Vocalist & Padma Shri Awardee, says, “Dhrupad is a meditative journey where sound, breath and silence come together. In Ehsaas-e-Qalam aur Pashm, music converses with calligraphy and craft, reminding us that all classical art forms are born from discipline, devotion and continuity. When such traditions come together, they strengthen each other and reaffirm the need to preserve our shared cultural heritage.”

The exhibition celebrates the glorious traditions of calligraphy alongside the warmth of traditional Pashmina, set to the resonant vocals of Dhrupad music, creating an immersive cultural experience rooted in history while inspiring future generations. Part of Ehsaas 2026: Eminent Artists of India Unite to Save the Pashmina Legacy, the initiative underscores the importance of conserving Indian heritage through collaborative cultural action.