A. Purpose:
The purpose of the Bhagavatham Animutyalu poetry recitation competition is to encourage children of all ages to learn Bhagavatam Padyaalu and benefit from the cultural enrichment and personality development they derive from it.
B. Resources:
Click on the below "Bhagavatham Aanimutyalu" link to go to the Skandhaalu and audios of the poems
Or 'copy-paste' the below link to go to the website
http://bhagavatamanimutyalu.org/
- after going to this page -> click on "భాగవతం ఆణిముత్యాలు" which takes you to all స్కంధాలు.
Click on this below link to go to the Consolidated Master Word doc for "Text of the Padyaalu."
Consolidated Master Word Document
The Competition is restricted to the 504 poems (పద్యాలు) from "భాగవతం ఆణిముత్యాలు" ONLY.
C. Registration and Dates:
This is an online contest. *** REGISTRATION IS FREE.
Registration is open till August 20th, 2023.
Registration Link (👈 Please click on this link. It will take you directly to the Registration Form)
(The above link is for North America Registrants only)
Potana Round / పోతన ఆవృతం will be conducted on either August 26th & 27th OR September 2nd and 3rd - based on the number of participants in each category for each participating country.
In North America - "Potana" Round / పోతన ఆవృతం will be conducted on August 26th and 27th, 2023.
Gajendra Round / గజేంద్ర ఆవృతం will be on September 30th and October 1st, 2023. This year "Gajendra Round" will be conducted in Live Zoom. Announcement of Gajendra Round Winners will be Telecast through YouTube approximately by October 15th, 2023. A small portion of the video of each Winner's Recitation will be shown on that day in YouTube.
D. Potana Round:
1.The First Round of the Competition, i.e. Potana Round, is open for all those currently residing in North America Continent.
Potana Round Registrants have to contact their Local Teams and have to use Local Team email addresses.
2. Bhagavatam Aanimutyaalu Competition is for age groups mentioned
below (age as of 1st August, 2023). *This year, we have added two more age groups, so adults can also participate.
a) Group 1: 6-9 years; b) Group 2: 10-13 years
c) Group 3: 14-18 years; d) Group 4: 19-25 years;
e) Group 5: 26 years and above.
3. 'Potana' (పోతన) Round: *This year, we added two options for the poetry recitation as indicated below: Participant can choose either Option -1 or Option -2. They cannot take part using both options.
Option - 1: "Sandarbham" and "Taatparyam" in Telugu
Each participant should say the 'Sandarbham' ("సందర్భం"/ Context), recite the 'Padyam' (పద్యం/poem), and say the 'Bhaavam' (భావం/తాత్పర్యము/meaning of the poem) in Telugu (తెలుగు) only. There will be a penalty for using English if they select option 1.
They are encouraged to express the 'Bhaavam' in their own words; it need not be replicated from the website; but the meaning of the whole poem and the essence has to be justified. They will get bonus points for expressing bhaavam in their own words.
Option - 2: - 'Sandarbham' and 'Taatparyam' in English. (this option is for Potana round only)
Participants can express the 'Sandarbham' and 'Taatparyam' in English. There will be a penalty for using Telugu if they select option 2.
This option will be mentioned in the Registration Form also.
General Guidelines for Potana Round Poetry recitation:
1. In 'Potana' round they can recite కంద/ఆటవెలది/తేటగీతి/మత్తేభం/శార్దూలం/ఉత్పలమాల/చంపకమాల/సీసపద్యం (along with its associated ఆటవెలది or తేటగీతి') of their choice. Their poem selection has to be from "భాగవతం ఆణిముత్యాలు" poems only.
Note:
A different poem has to be selected by the previous winners of both Potana and Gajendra rounds of all these years. This applies to all the winners from all countries.
2. The objective of the competition is to encourage children and adults to learn and enjoy as many poems from Bhagavatam as possible.
3. If a child, who was last year’s winner in any age-category in the top 3 ranks, intends to participate again this year and repeats the same poems recited during previous competitions, then that child can be disqualified from awards.
4. Each participant should say his/her name, what poem and from what 'skandham' he/she is going to recite.
5. When Registering for the Competition, just provide the 'Skandham' number and 'Padyam' number from the website and copy the first line in the Registration Form. You don't have to send the audio or video version.
6. If required, the iBAM team has the right to conduct a second round of competition in any age group before choosing the 'Potana round' winners.
7. Winners of each country's 'Potana' Round' will be awarded prizes by the respective country team only.
8. Top Winners of "Potana" Round from each age group from all countries will proceed to Global Gajendra competition.
E. Elocution Segment (English only):
- This is a new segment for Potana Round only, initiated this year. The purpose is to spread the essence of Bhagavatham among children not just through poems, but also through short stories and through learning about several characters.
- This segment is for 6 - 25 years age groups only. This is open to all - even if they don't take part in Poem Recitation Competition, they can take part in this Elocution Segment.
Topic: "My Favorite Character in Bhagavatam"
- The participants pick a favorite character from Bhagavatham and explain in their own words as to why they like the character. They could use examples to support their choice. No other guidelines. They have to explain in English only.
- Time limit is 3 minutes. In these 3 minutes, they can explain how they perceive their favorite character.
- There is no separate registration form. There is an option to participate in the elocution on the same registration form that they can use for poetry.
- Any registrants from the same age groups can take part in both Competitions.
- It will be a single round (Potana Only) competition only (Not eligible for Gajendra Round).
F. General guidleines for Global Gajendra (గజేంద్ర) Competition:
- Based on the number of Potana round participants, the organizers will decide the number of Gajendra round participants in each age category from all countries.
Organizers' decision is final.
- In 'Gajendra' Competition - contestants can not repeat the same Poem / పద్యం recited in 'Potana' Round; and can not repeat the same poem which was recited in previous Potana and Gajendra Rounds also.
- They have to recite a 'seesapadyam' / సీసపద్యం along with its associated ఆటవెలది or తేటగీతి'; and explain 'sandarbham'/ సందర్భం and bhaavam /భావం' in Telugu only.
- Winners of Gajendra Round / గజేంద్ర స్థాయి will be awarded prizes.
- For all additional questions on Global Gajendra competition, please write to
- Further details about "Gajendra Round" will be provided to Potana round winners.
- All Gajendra Competition participants will be informed latest by 15th September 2023.