Bhajan Competition (Pt. Manoharbuva Shirgaonkar Smruti Bhajan Spardha)

What is the Kala Academy Bhajan Competition?

Bhajan Competition is an annual state cultural competition run by Kala Academy Goa, the autonomous body of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, to preserve and promote Goa's tradition of bhajan singing. The competition carries the formal name Pt. Manoharbuva Shirgaonkar Smruti Bhajan Spardha, after the Goan bhajan master in whose memory it is held, and the current rules booklet is issued for the 2026-27 edition.

Kala Academy Goa states its purpose directly in the rules: the scheme helps select quality troupes that present traditional Goan bhajan, gives rural and urban bhajan troupes one common platform, allows artistes from village Goa to show their skill at divisional and state level, and; when the chance arises, lets such troupes represent Goa at national and international cultural events. Bhajan is treated in the scheme document as a form that provides cultural nourishment and social awakening, not merely as a performance genre.

The competition runs on two levels and in three categories:

• Regional (vibhagiya) level, held at five or six centres, or as many as Kala Academy decides. Each centre takes at least 16 and at most 25 troupes.
• State level, the first and second prize winners from each regional centre qualify for the state round.
• Three separate categories run in parallel: men's (purush), women's (mahila) and children's (baal) artistes.

The men's category is by far the oldest: the state-level winners list in the rules booklet runs from the very first competition in 1979-80 through to 2025-26, which makes it one of the longest continuously-run cultural competitions in Goa. The women's list starts in 2000-01 and the children's list in 2001-02.

How much money does the Bhajan Competition pay out?

Kala Academy Goa publishes the full prize table in the rules booklet. All figures below are from the 2026-27 booklet.

State level, men's category (total Rs 2,75,000)

• First prize Rs 75,000, second Rs 50,000, third Rs 40,000, fourth Rs 30,000
• Two consolation prizes of Rs 20,000 each
• Individual awards of Rs 5,000 (first) and Rs 3,000 (second) each for best singer of the first abhang, best singer of the second abhang, best gavlan/bharud singer, best pakhawaj accompanist and best harmonium accompanist

State level, women's category (total Rs 1,45,000)

• First prize Rs 35,000, second Rs 30,000, third Rs 25,000, fourth Rs 20,000
• Two consolation prizes of Rs 10,000 each
• Individual awards of Rs 2,000 (first) and Rs 1,000 (second) in the same five categories

State level, children's category (total Rs 50,000)

• First prize Rs 25,000, second Rs 20,000, third Rs 15,000, fourth Rs 10,000
• Two consolation prizes of Rs 5,000 each
• Individual awards of Rs 2,000 each in the five categories

Regional level, per centre

• Men's: first Rs 9,000, second Rs 7,000, third Rs 5,000, three consolation prizes of Rs 3,000 each, and five individual awards of Rs 2,000 each
• Women's: first Rs 7,000, second Rs 5,000, third Rs 3,000, three consolation prizes of Rs 2,000 each, and five individual awards of Rs 1,500 each
• Children's: first Rs 5,000, second Rs 3,000, third Rs 2,000, three consolation prizes of Rs 1,000 each, and five individual awards of Rs 1,000 each

On top of prizes, every troupe gets money. Rule 18 pays Rs 500 to each troupe in the regional preliminary round and Rs 1,000 to each troupe in the state-level final round towards preparation, plus travel expenses as per Academy norms. The older Kala Academy schemes booklet describes the travel support as to-and-fro transport charges at government rates for one 10 to 15 seater vehicle per participating institution.

Prize money is paid by cheque drawn in the troupe's own name, so the troupe must hold an account in a nationalised or co-operative bank. Kala Academy will not accept any request to change the name on a cheque, and will not re-issue a cheque that is not encashed within its validity.

Who can and cannot take part in the Bhajan Competition?

You can take part if:

• Your troupe is a Goan bhajani troupe. The competition is open to all Goan groups and to no one else.
• Every artiste in the troupe belongs to the same gram panchayat or municipal area as the troupe. A music school or music class entering as a troupe is bound by the same rule.
• Your troupe has between 10 and 16 artistes.
• A child artiste is under 16 years of age on the last date for submitting the entry form.

You are not eligible, or your troupe will be disqualified, if:

• Any artiste is a professional artiste. Rule 7 restricts participation to amateur traditional performers.
• Any artiste has previously served as a judge in a Kala Academy bhajan competition. That bar is permanent.
• Any artiste appears in more than one troupe in the same competition; in that case every troupe he or she appeared in is removed.
• Any artiste comes from outside the taluka. Women's and children's troupes are allowed to bring the pakhawaj and harmonium accompanists from outside their own panchayat but within the same taluka; artistes from outside the taluka cannot be included under any circumstances.
• The same artiste tries to compete in two categories. Rule 17 allows an artiste only one category — men's, women's or children's.
• Your presentation runs under 30 minutes or over 35 minutes.
• Your troupe withdraws at the last minute without the Academy's prior written consent, in which case it is barred from the following year's competition.
• Your troupe deliberately obstructs the conduct of the competition, which brings a three-year ban from every Kala Academy competition and festival.

How to apply for the Kala Academy Bhajan Competition

1. Watch the local dailies. Kala Academy Goa invites entries by publishing a press notice in the Goan newspapers. Rule 1 gives the Academy full authority to accept or reject any entry received.
2. Collect the entry form and rules booklet. The prescribed entry form (praveshika), together with the rules and regulations, is made available at Kala Academy Goa, Campal, Panaji 403001. The current booklet is also published as a PDF on the Kala Academy schemes page.
3. Fill the form in English for all name fields. Rule 19 makes this explicit: the troupe name and the names of the main singers and instrumentalists must be entered in English and must match the bank account, because the prize cheques are drawn from these entries.
4. List 10 to 16 artistes, all from your own panchayat or municipal area. Check every name against this rule before submitting. It is the single ground on which a rival troupe can complain against you.
5. Submit the completed form to Kala Academy by the date printed in the press notice. Late entries are not entertained.
6. Attend the scheduled session. After scrutiny, Kala Academy publishes the detailed programme with centres and sessions. Your troupe must reach the venue with all artistes and all instruments at least 30 minutes before its session begins. Order of performance at the regional level is fixed by draw of lots.
7. Bring your own instruments. Rule 14 makes each troupe responsible for carrying the equipment it needs, at its own cost.

How is the bhajan judged?

Kala Academy appoints a panel of judges for every centre at both regional and state level. The scoring sheet printed in the booklet carries 100 marks, split evenly into four blocks of 25:

• Traditional opening: singing, rhythm, ensemble, traditionality, experimentation and timing
• First abhang; melody, rhythm, voice placement, novelty in the chal and emotional depth
• Second abhang; melody, rhythm, voice placement, novelty in the chal, emotional depth and confidence
• Gavlan / bharud, novelty, dramatic quality, emotional depth, rhythm and melody

Rule 20 says the presentation is judged as a whole, not in pieces, and that singing, playing and rhythm are all assessed together. Rule 21 adds a practical point that costs troupes marks every year: the singing artiste should keep the taal (cymbals) down as far as possible while singing.

Rule 6 warns troupes against repeating the same abhangs year after year with the same artistes in the same style. If another institution complains, with evidence, that a bhajan is a repeat of an earlier performance, the judges will verify it and specifically take it into account when preparing the result. Troupes not selected in the past two years are told to bring newer and better material.

What are the common reasons a troupe loses its entry?

• An artiste from outside the panchayat. This is the most common complaint, and it must be raised in writing before the end of that day's presentations: complaints made later are not considered at all.
• The same artiste in two troupes. All the troupes involved go out.
• Crossing the 35-minute limit or falling short of 30 minutes.
• Missing the reporting time. A troupe that does not follow the order of presentation is not allowed to perform and is removed from the competition.
• Changing the main artistes between the regional and state rounds. Troupes selected for the state level cannot change their main artistes or their accompanists, and must present the same bhajan or abhang they performed at the regional level, with no changes.
• A lapsed prize cheque. Kala Academy takes no responsibility for re-issuing a cheque that was not encashed within its validity period.

Where do I raise a grievance about the Bhajan Competition?

Contact Kala Academy Goa at Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001, on 0832-2420450 to 2420454, or by email at kalaacademygoa@yahoo.co.in. The Kala Academy schemes document names the Member Secretary as the authority to receive applications and suggestions, and the Member Secretary or the Chairman of Kala Academy Goa as the authority for redressal of grievances. Note rule 15 before writing: no correspondence will be entertained about the result itself, and publicly attacking a result costs the troupe two years of participation.

Key facts to remember

• Bhajan Competition is run by Kala Academy Goa under the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa.
• The official name is Pt. Manoharbuva Shirgaonkar Smruti Bhajan Spardha.
• Two levels: regional at 5 to 6 centres, then state, and three categories: men, women and children.
• State first prizes: Rs 75,000 (men), Rs 35,000 (women), Rs 25,000 (children).
• Every troupe gets Rs 500 at the regional round or Rs 1,000 at the state round, plus travel charges.
• A troupe needs 10 to 16 artistes, all from its own panchayat or municipal area.
• Presentation must run between 30 and 35 minutes.
• Applications open only when the press notice appears; there is no rolling online window.

How to check your application status

Kala Academy Goa runs this competition on paper, through a press notice and an offline entry form, and it has no online applicant login or tracking number, so "checking status" here means confirming your entry was received and later following your troupe's progress through the rounds.

1. Confirm receipt of your entry form. After you submit the praveshika at Kala Academy Goa, Campal, Panaji 403001, call the office on 0832-2420450 to 2420454 and ask the scrutiny section to confirm your troupe's form has been received and accepted for the regional round. Keep your submission date and the name under which you entered handy when you call, since entries are matched by troupe name and category, not by any digital reference number.
2. Watch for the programme announcement. Once scrutiny of all entries is complete, Kala Academy publishes the detailed regional programme, listing centres, dates and the order of troupes decided by draw of lots. This is published through the same channels as the original press notice and is also the point at which you learn whether your troupe was accepted, since Rule 1 gives the Academy authority to reject any entry.
3. Ask in writing if you do not see your troupe listed. If the programme comes out and your troupe's name is missing, write to the Member Secretary, Kala Academy Goa, at the Campal address or by email at kalaacademygoa@yahoo.co.in, quoting your troupe name, category and the date you submitted the form.
4. Track your result after the performance. Regional results are announced at the centre itself once judging for that session finishes. Troupes that place first or second at a centre go on to the state round; the state programme and results are announced the same way, through the Academy's own notice rather than an online results page.
5. Follow up on prize money separately from results. Winning a placement and receiving the cheque are two different steps. If your troupe has been declared a winner but the cheque has not arrived, call the Kala Academy office directly rather than waiting, since Rule 18's payment is tied to the troupe's bank account details submitted with the entry form, and any mismatch in the troupe name against the bank account will hold up payment.
6. Do not expect a response on the result itself. Rule 15 explicitly rules out correspondence questioning the judges' result, so status enquiries should be limited to whether your entry was received, whether your troupe is listed in the programme, and whether prize money due to you has been processed, not to disputing marks or placement.