Basohli is famous for a painting style that fills museums around the world. From 19 to 21 October it will also host something far less formal: seven working cartoonists drawing live, in the open air, for anyone who turns up. Basohli Utsav 2026 is adding a cartoon segment this year. Here is who is coming, what you can do there, and how to make a trip of it.
At a glance
- What: Basohli Utsav 2026, with a special cartoon segment
- When: 19–21 October 2026
- Where: Basohli, Kathua district
- For: everyone, but pitched especially at children and young or aspiring artists
The line-up
Four cartoonists are coming from outside J&K:
- Sagar Kumar, from Chhattisgarh, described by the organisers as internationally recognised
- Subhani, from Telangana
- Manoj Kuril, known across India
- Madhav Joshi
Joining them from J&K are Manoj Chopra, Chander Shekhar and Shah Tariq.
Three things you can actually do
Watch cartoons being made
The cartoonists will run live cartoon-making sessions over the three days. If you have only ever seen a finished cartoon in a newspaper, watching one built from a blank sheet is the fastest way to understand the craft.
Learn the basics
According to the festival's handout, visitors, "particularly children and young artists", will be able to learn basic cartooning techniques in interactive sessions and workshops. If you draw, bring a sketchbook.
Walk an open-air exhibition
The organisers call the outdoor cartoon exhibition the festival's major attraction. The work will hang in an open public space rather than a gallery. A special exhibition will carry cartoons on social themes: Swachh Bharat, Say No to Drugs, and road safety.
Making a day or a weekend of it
The festival sits in a town with its own artistic history. Basohli gave its name to one of the earliest schools of Pahari miniature painting. The painting at the top of this page, Devidasa of Nurpur's 1694–95 work from Basohli, now hangs in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. We wrote about why that heritage is better known everywhere except Basohli itself here, and about the tourism money earmarked for the town here.
A few things we could not confirm before publishing: daily timings, the exact venue in the town for the cartoon sessions, whether the workshops need registration, and the full programme for the rest of the Utsav. Organisers have not named a contact in the published announcement. We will update this piece once the programme is out.
According to the festival's handout, Basohli Utsav draws visitors from J&K, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Note the calendar: 19–21 October falls on Monday to Wednesday this year, so students will need to plan around classes.
Sources
- Kashmir Images — Cartoonists from across India to participate in Basohli Utsav (27 September 2026)
- Kashmir Reader — India's leading cartoonists to join Basohli Utsav 2026 (28 September 2026)
- UNI — Cartoonists of national repute to join three-day Basohli Utsav in Kathua from Oct 19 (27 September 2026)
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