As the hall filled up on a Monday afternoon, students were already seated cross-legged on stage. As they sang devotional songs, their voices accompanied by the hum of the sruthi box. A few in the audience unconsciously tapped along to the talam. The serene atmosphere set the tone for the Tamizh Geetha Chanting Competition 2025 prize distribution ceremony. Organised by Chinmaya Mission Chennai at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Taylors Road, the event brought together 28 finalists studying in classes 3-9. from across the state. TNIE was the media partner.
Welcoming the gathering, OV Nambiar, president of Chinmaya Mission Chennai, said, “Nothing moves forward because of an individual; it is the organisation that takes it forward and makes our Gurudev proud.” He described the competition as a tribute to the Mission’s founder.
Swami Mitrananda, head of Chinmaya Mission Chennai, delivered the benediction. “An event is something which happens once; a movement continues. For us, this is a movement, not an event,” he said, adding that the Tamizh Geetha Chanting Competition would henceforth be held annually.
Swami Sureshananda delivered the special address, beginning with the Sahanavavatu Shanti Mantra. Speaking on the significance of the initiative, he said the Tamil Gita should reach Tamil communities worldwide. The finalists later presented a group chanting of the 15th chapter of the Tamil Bhagavad Gita, with many in the audience joining the recitation. Around 60 judges were felicitated for their contribution.
Prizes were then distributed to the winners. In the senior category, Sriman Srivatsan of Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, won the first prize, followed by Sahana S of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Taylors Road, and Shriya S of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Virugambakkam. In the junior category, Vasundaraa KA of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Anna Nagar, won the first prize, while Ramesh Sai Krupa of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School, Virugambakkam, and Neha G of Bala Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Adyar, won the second and third prizes respectively. Winners received cars, scooters, and bicycles.
The chief guest of the evening, Leena Nair, IAS (Retd.), said that the competition reflected a deeper cultural continuity. “When these young children sat here and recited the Bhagavad Gita in Tamil, that in itself was a movement of great significance. What we have witnessed here is not students simply participating in an event, but a quiet yet powerful reaffirmation that our traditions are alive in the voices of our children,” she said.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Jaishankar Unnithan, where he expressed hope of reaching 1,00,000 participants across Tamil Nadu next year.
The event was supported by Kaleesuwari and Hello FM. Prizes for the winners were sponsored by organisations including Sankar Sealing Systems Pvt Ltd, Krupa Investments, Chennai Yoga Studio and Madras Chennai Seva Trust.