The Calligraphy Foundation
Preserving, promoting, and pedagogically reviving the scriptural traditions of India through the art of calligraphy
The Calligraphy Foundation (TCF) is a government-registered trust established in 2021 with a national vision to preserve, promote, and pedagogically revive the scriptural traditions of India through the medium of calligraphy. Rooted in the cultural ethos of Akhshara, TCF operates at the confluence of art, education, and heritage, providing a structured platform for artists, researchers, and educators working with Indian and international scripts.
Over the past three years, TCF has evolved into a pan-India community of over 7,500 artists and practitioners who engage with the written form not only as an art but as a civilizational archive. Through its initiatives—ranging from exhibitions and public demonstrations to structured training programs like the Calligraphy Teacher Training Programme (CTTP)—the Foundation has worked consistently to create sustainable and academically rigorous engagement with writing traditions.
Our mission is to build a national ecosystem that celebrates script as identity, calligraphy as pedagogy, and writing as a creative act of cultural memory. Whether through awareness-building festivals such as Akshar Mahotsav, Sulekhan Kala Pradarshini, school-level initiatives like Navankur Sulekhan, or our academic collaborations with leading universities.
Aadhaar: Foundation Day
Marking the Inception of a Scriptural Movement
Aadhaar, observed in the second week of January, commemorates the founding of The Calligraphy Foundation—not simply as a date of institutional birth, but as the moment a national movement took form. Rooted in the belief that scripts are more than visual symbols—that they are vessels of culture, memory, and identity—Aadhaar is a time to reaffirm TCF's commitment to preserving and advancing India's calligraphic traditions. What began as a trust has evolved into a growing ecosystem of calligraphers, educators, researchers, and cultural practitioners who share a singular aim: to restore scripts to the centre of public and pedagogic discourse.
Sulekhan Kala Pradarshini
Scripts as Sites of Interdisciplinary Expression
Sulekhan Kala Pradarshini is envisioned as an interdisciplinary exhibition that brings India's scriptural legacy to the foreground—positioning scripts not merely as tools of communication, but as visual archives of civilizational thought. Curated as part of Akshar Mahotsav or hosted independently in cultural venues across the country, the Pradarshini invites practicing calligraphers, contemporary artists, researchers, and students to interpret and reimagine Indian scripts through diverse media and methods.
Navankur Sulekhan
Nurturing Calligraphy from the Ground Up
At The Calligraphy Foundation, we believe that the cultural continuity of calligraphy depends on early exposure, structured pedagogy, and consistent practice. Navankur Sulekhan was conceived as a foundational initiative to introduce children aged 8 to 16 to the world of scripts—not merely as handwriting, but as a discipline rooted in patience, visual rhythm, and cultural memory. Recognising that formative years shape long-term mastery, this programme trains young learners in both Indian and international monoline scripts such as American Cursive, Foundational Hand, Monoline Italic, and Devanagari, under the guidance of certified mentors.
