Panaji: Shree Durga Devi Sangeet Vidyalaya secures first place in the competition held as part of the centenary celebrations of the Dussehra festivities at Shree Saraswati Temple.
VEREM: Shree Durga Devi Sangeet Vidyalaya, Amona, secured first place at the inaugural All Goa Bal Ghumat Aarti Competition organised by Shree Saraswati Kala Mandal, Verem, at Saraswati Temple Hall, Verem. The competition was held as part of the centenary celebrations of the Dussehra festivities at Shree Saraswati Temple.
Shree Ishwar Sateri Bal Aarti Mandal, Bhoma, secured second place, while Shree Ganesh Shantadurga Bal Kalakar, Mhalshi, Curti, Ponda, finished third.
The competition was attended by Saligao MLA and Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Chairman Kedar Naik as the chief guest. Those present included Sushmita Pednekar, sarpanch of Reis Magos Village Panchayat; former sarpanch Subhash Pednekar; Superintendent of Police Tushar Vernekar; village panchayat member Umesh Mayekar; former Zilla Panchayat member from Reis Magos Sandeep Bandodkar; and singer Shubham Naik.
The performances were evaluated by judges Shambhu Pilankar and Tejas Kunkolienkar. The competition brought together young performers from across Goa, providing a platform to showcase their skills in traditional Ghumat Aarti and related musical forms.
The remaining positions were secured by Swastik Swarnad of Swastik Vidyalaya, Priol, in fourth place; Shree Kelbai Sateri Bal Aarti Mandal, Curti, Ponda, in fifth place; Vidya Vriddhi School, Ponda, in sixth place; Sarvodaya High School, Usgao, in seventh place; and Shree Shantadurga Dadeshwar Ghumat Aarti Mandal, Nerul, Bardez, in eighth place.
In the special awards category, Shree Durga Devi Sangeet Vidyalaya, Amona, won the Best Gayak and Best Kasale Vadak awards. Shree Ishwar Sateri Bal Aarti Mandal, Bhoma, received the Best Ghumat Sanch award, while Shree Kelbai Sateri Bal Aarti Mandal, Curti, Ponda, won the Best Shamel Vadak award.
Members of Shree Saraswati Kala Mandal from Amberkhand and Sonarbhat Wada, Verem, were involved in organising the event. Those associated with the organising team included Sunil Naik, Adv. Pankaj Dabholkar, Subhash Parulekar, Deep Salvi and Sachin Satardekar, along with other senior and youth members of the mandal.
The inaugural competition formed part of the temple’s centenary celebrations and sought to encourage young talent while promoting the continuity of Goa’s traditional devotional music and cultural practices. The organisers congratulated the winning teams and acknowledged the participation of all competing groups, mentors and supporters.
