Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshops

What are the Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshops?

Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshops are training workshops conducted by Kala Academy Goa under the Department of Art, Culture and Museums, Government of Goa. According to the myScheme description of the activity, the objective is to provide knowledge of appropriate and traditional bhajan singing and pakhawaj playing to bhajan performers, through experts from the respective field, and applications are invited when a workshop is announced.

The reasoning behind the workshops is visible in Kala Academy's own bhajan material. The Academy's bhajan competition booklet explains that bhajan mandals across Goa's villages and towns keep the tradition alive, that the Academy runs its bhajan activities to give rural and urban mandals a common platform, and that bhajan has long been a vehicle of cultural nourishment and awareness in Goan society. Where a competition rewards the best performers, a workshop raises the floor, it puts a trained expert in front of performers who have learned by ear within their own mandal.

Kala Academy Goa was established on 28 February 1970 as the apex body to develop music, dance, drama, fine art, folk art and literature in the state. It is fully funded by the Government of Goa, is governed by a 28-member General Council and a 14-member Executive Board, and works from its complex at Campal, Panaji.

Who can attend a Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshop?

You can apply if:

• You are a bhajan performer. A singer, a pakhawaj player, or a member of a bhajan mandal; in Goa.
• You apply in the form announced with the workshop, before the last date in that announcement.

You are not eligible, or should confirm first, if:

• You are not resident in Goa. Kala Academy's jurisdiction is the State of Goa and its activities are conducted for artistes in the state.
• The workshop has capacity or category limits for that round. Workshops are run with a limited number of seats and a fixed level, and the announcement is the place those limits are stated.

What does the workshop cover?

The two halves of the workshop are the reason it exists as a single activity rather than two:

• Traditional bhajan singing — the appropriate manner of presenting bhajan, the abhang and gavlan repertoire, and the structure of a traditional presentation.
• Pakhawaj playing, the two-headed barrel drum that is the traditional percussion accompaniment for bhajan. The pakhawaj is played horizontally and its technique is distinct from the tabla, and it is the instrument most bhajan mandals find hardest to staff.

Kala Academy engages experts from the respective field to conduct the sessions.

Is there any money involved?

No cash benefit is published for participants. The benefit under this activity is the training itself, conducted at the Academy's cost. Kala Academy has not published a stipend, honorarium or award for participants in the Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshops, and this guide does not state one.

How to apply for a Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshop

1. Watch for the announcement. Kala Academy publishes its activity and workshop notices on kalaacademygoa.co.in and in the local press, and applications are invited when a workshop is announced.
2. Obtain the application form for that workshop from Kala Academy, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001, or download it if the Academy publishes it with the notice.
3. Fill in the form with your name, address, contact number, your bhajan mandal if you belong to one, and your experience in bhajan singing or pakhawaj playing.
4. Attach the documents asked for; identity and residence proof, and a letter from your bhajan mandal if you are being nominated by one.
5. Submit the form at the Kala Academy office before the last date in the announcement. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.45 pm, and the office is closed on weekends and public holidays.
6. Attend the workshop at the venue and on the dates notified.

Related Kala Academy bhajan activity

Kala Academy separately runs the Pt. Manoharbuva Shirgaonkar Smruti Bhajan Spardha, a bhajan competition held at zonal and state level with separate categories for men, women and children. Its printed rules are detailed; each participating mandal must present bhajan for a minimum of 30 minutes and not more than 35 minutes, with up to 12 minutes for the opening gajar, and mandals are expected to bring fresh abhangs rather than repeat the previous year's presentation. Performers who attend a workshop are the natural entrants for that competition, and the two activities are best read together.

Where to ask questions

Kala Academy, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001 conducts the workshops. Telephones are 0832-2420450, 51, 52, 53 and 54, and 0832-2432544. The email listed on the Government of Goa departmental page is kalaacademygoa@yahoo.co.in, and the Academy's website is kalaacademygoa.co.in. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.45 pm.

A note on this guide. Kala Academy has not published a standing scheme document for the Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshops in the way the Tiatr Academy of Goa publishes its 41 numbered schemes. The workshops are announced as an activity. Everything above has been taken from Kala Academy's own website and bhajan material, the Government of Goa departmental page for Kala Academy, and the myScheme entry for the workshops. Dates, seats, fees if any and the exact application format should be taken from the current announcement, not from any secondary source.

How to check your application status

Kala Academy does not run an online application tracker for the Bhajan Pakhawaj Workshops, so status has to be confirmed directly with the office.

• Call the Academy. Ring 0832-2420450, 51, 52, 53 or 54 (or 0832-2432544) between 9.30 am and 5.45 pm, Monday to Friday, and ask the culture/activities section whether your form has been received and whether the workshop batch has been finalised.
• Ask for a receiving acknowledgement at submission. When you hand in the form at Campal, Panaji, request a stamped or signed acknowledgement (a dated receipt slip or a copy of your form with the office stamp). This is your only proof of submission, since there is no portal reference number.
• Write to the listed email if you need a written answer. Send a query to kalaacademygoa@yahoo.co.in with your name, the workshop you applied for, and the date you submitted the form, and ask for confirmation of receipt and selection.
• Watch the notice board and website for the batch list. Kala Academy typically confirms the final list of participants and the venue and dates through a notice at its office and on kalaacademygoa.co.in rather than by individually calling every applicant, so check both once the announced last date has passed.
• Follow up in person if the workshop date is approaching and you have heard nothing. Because seats are limited, a visit to the office a few days before the expected start date is the most reliable way to know if you have a place.

Common reasons for rejection

Kala Academy has not published a formal rejection or appeal process for this activity, but the workshops are announced with limited seats and a fixed scope, and applications commonly fail to make the cut for the following reasons.

• Form submitted after the last date. The announcement fixes a closing date, and forms handed in after it are set aside even if you are otherwise a qualified bhajan performer. Fix: apply as soon as the notice is published rather than waiting until the deadline week.
• Seats already filled. Workshops run with a limited number of places, and once that number is reached, later applicants (even complete ones) are turned away. Fix: apply early in the window, and if you are informed the batch is full, ask to be considered for the next round.
• Applicant is not a practising bhajan performer or mandal member. The workshop is meant for people already singing bhajan or playing pakhawaj, individually or with a mandal, not for general music enthusiasts with no bhajan background. Fix: state your mandal affiliation or your experience singing/playing bhajan clearly on the form, and attach a mandal nomination letter if you have one.
• Applicant is not resident in Goa. Kala Academy's activities are for artistes within the state, so an application from outside Goa is not entertained. Fix: confirm you meet the residence expectation before applying; this is not stated as flexible.
• Incomplete or illegible form. A form missing contact details, mandal information, or a signature, or one that is hard to read, is set aside during scrutiny. Fix: fill every field in block letters or type where possible, and double check contact details since the office relies on your phone number to inform you of the schedule.
• Missing identity or residence proof. Where the notice asks for supporting documents and none are attached, the form is treated as incomplete. Fix: attach a valid identity and residence document with the form, matching the name you have written on it.
• Category or level mismatch for that round. If a particular workshop batch is announced for a specific level (for instance, beginners or a particular part of the state), an applicant outside that scope may not be accommodated in that round. Fix: read the specific announcement carefully before applying rather than assuming every batch is open to all levels.