November 1, rajyotsav or statehood day for eight states of India, was a musically and spiritually elevating experience for those attending the final round of the second season of ‘Guna Gaaun Main’ 2020—the Online Global Bhajan Competition organised by Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth’s Chinmaya Naada Bindu Gurukula (CNBG).
Pujya Swami Tejomayananda and Chancellor of Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV), Pujya Swami Swaroopananda invoked the blessings of Bhagawan and Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda for the success of the event. While applauding the participants, Swami Tejomayananda said that bhajans take one on the path of devotion and later it leads to becoming one’s life-breath. Pujya Swami Swaroopananda showered his love and blessings on all who were a part of the event—judges, participants, organisers and volunteers.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal and Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar lauded the efforts of the organisers, congratulated all the participants and wished that this endeavour would become an annual event.
The programme began with a brief about the event by CNBG Director, Smt. Pramodini Rao. There were four categories based on age groups, 5 to 12, 13 to 18, 19 to 35 and 36 onwards. Each category featured five finalists and the twenty participants presented bhajans and abhangs of notable composers like Purandara Dasa, Samarth Ramdas, Sant Gyaneshwar, Tukaram Maharaj, Meera Bai and Kabir Das to name some.
The performance of the youngsters in Categories 1 and 2 was soulful, an assurance that Indian classical and devotional music is in good hands. Performers from Category 3 brimmed with youthfulness and exuberance in their presentation. The enthusiasm and the spirit of the participants from Category 4 was evident in their renditions.
Shri Sikkil Gurucharan and Shri Sanjiv Chimmalgi, acclaimed vocalists of Carnatic and Hindustani music, respectively, were the judges for the event. Needless to say, the judges had a tough time picking the winners. Shri Sikkil Gurucharan praised the efforts of the participants who gave their heart and soul and said that all music lovers are connected by the ‘sapta swaras’ even during these testing times. Shri Sanjeev Chimmalgi said, “Results are just of this day. But music and devotion will stay (forever).”
The programme was interspersed with music videos of a few participants from the earlier rounds were shown, videos of CVV’s academic programmes, the annual music and dance intensives and the Chinmaya Naada Bindu Festival, all of which added colour to the event.
The event was hosted by Smt. Pramodini Rao and Smt. Rupali Sharma, a CNBG alumnus who is a regular volunteer at CNB events. The Vote of Thanks was proposed by the CNBG Manager, Ms. Shoba Iyer, who was the coordinator for the event. The programme ended with the ‘Shanti path’.
Access the melodious event here:
Names of winners:
Category 1: 6 to 12 years
- Chaitanya, Kerala, India
- Hrishikesh Dhavalikar, Goa, India
- Taarika Pimpalkhare – Maharashtra, India
Category 2: 13 to 18 years
- Sia Iyer, PA, USA
- Swarang Vatwe – Ontario, Canada
- Esha R Ghate – Goa, India
Category 3: 19 to 35 years
- Abhiram Bharathvamshi, Karnataka, India
- Tanishq Arora, Punjab, India
- Rahul Sarodi, Maharashtra, India
Category 4: 35 years upwards
- Yogen Kaskhedikar, Karnataka, India
- Damini Desai, Gujarat, India
- Gauri Mhaskar, GA, USA