The opening movement of the traditional solo: an unhurried, improvisatory exposition that establishes the tala, the tuning, and the player's authority before any fixed repertoire appears. It is built from broad theka-derived phrases, bayan work, and gradually thickening subdivision, with kaida logic in the background.
Peshkar ("presentation") is strongly associated with Delhi and Farrukhabad practice; Benares solos open instead with uthan. Connoisseurs judge a soloist heavily on peshkar, because nothing in it can be pre-packaged — it shows the player thinking.