hariḥ om. Chinmaya GitaFest 2024 is a two-day event conducted for chinmaya bala-vihar students from various Chinmaya Mission Centers in USA & Canada to showcase their chanting and understanding of Chapter 4 of Bhagavad-gītā.
This will be primarily an in-person event in Chinmaya Mission Chicago. Please check the details below for the format of contests and challenges.
Dive Deep into Gita and get ready to participate in this celebration of the 108th Chinmaya Jayanti! Chanting Competition Awards will be distributed by Mukhya Swami Swaroopananda Ji during the 2024 Maha Samadhi Camp. Awards Distribution in MSC 2024 is scheduled at 11:30 AM on July 31, 2024.
Please click here for the list of Participating centers and the State Finals Date and Venue. (As of Apr. 22, 2024)
We are pleased to announce that the Award Recipients received their Trophy and Cash Prize in person from mukhya-swamiji swaroopānanda on July 31, 2024 as part of the Mahasamādhi camp.
We are pleased to announce that all Gita Fest 2024 events have been completed successfully with the grace of pujya Gurudev, and the guidance from Swami ShantānandaJi, Swami Sharanānanda Ji, Swami Aparājitānanda Ji and the dedicated service of Chinmaya Mission Sevaks and Sevikā-s. Chinmaya Mission Chicago hosted all the 150+ participating chinmaya families & volunteers with love, warmth and nourishment! Salutations to Gurudev!
We thank all the students for giving us the opportunity to witness their chanting and understanding of Bhagavad-Gita. Gita Fest 2024 gave us all a glimpse of the fruits of Chinmaya Bhagavad Gītā Instruction in various Chinmaya centers in Chinmaya Mission West, under the guidance of our swamins, brahmachārin-s, Balavihar teachers & Gītā coaches. Chinmaya members from all the participating states collaborated together to conduct this event. May we continue to stand together as one family, bound to each other with love and respect.
This celebration of Bhagavad Gītā has been made possible by countless chinmaya devotees who have contributed in various capacities over the last several months: through prize sponsorships & food sponsorships, by offering their knowledge, time and efforts to carefully plan and execute the various events. We are ever grateful to each and every one of them and invoke Gurudev & Lord Krishna’s blessings to all. May Thy Grace and blessings flow through us to the world around us!
Congratulations to all the participants who have learned to chant with proper enunciation and learned the meaning of the words from Chapter 4. We hope through this journey every participant broadened and reinforced their understanding of Chapter 4 of Bhagavad Gitā.
Based on the performance evaluation of the students in the various contests under the LEARN GITA INITIATIVE, here are the students recognized for their excellence.
Cash Prizes for Learn Gita Contests were awarded to the TOP THREE SCORERS, by Swami Shantananda Ji.
Note: FOUR prizes were awarded for Kūrma and Varāha group contests.
A Trophy & Cash Prize will be awarded to the TOP THREE SCORERS from all the five grade-groups, by mukhya Swami Swaroopānanda Ji on July 31, 2024. Here are the list of Award Recipients from the Chanting Competition:
Gita Chanting National Competition for the Excellent chanters from all State Finals. This is an opportunity to celebrate bhagavad-gītā chanting and showcase the finest chinmaya chanters from every state!
For: Grade 1 – Grade 2; Grade 3 – Grade 6; Grade 7 – 12
(In-person & Remote participation from affiliated chinmaya center)
For: Grade 7 – Grade 12
(In-person & Remote participation from affiliated centers. Final player selection based on performance in qualifier round.)
For: Grade 10 – Grade 12; Adults
(In-person & Remote participation from affiliated centers using Zoom)
sādhanā challenge:
Practice one of the yajña-s mentioned in Chapter 4, in your daily life. Share your experience with the Chinmaya family through blogs or short videos. Swāmin-s/brahmachārin-s/presidents shall select the sādhanā for the center.
Duration: Jan 2024 – Jun 2024
For: Adult Sevaks & Sevikā-s
Gita Chanting National Competition (For: Grade 1 – Grade 12)
| GROUP # | GRADES | ASSIGNED VERSES |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Grade 1 – Grade 2 | 4.1 – 4.25 |
| 2. | Grade 3 – Grade 4 | 4.1 – 4.42 |
| 3. | Grade 5 – Grade 6 | 4.1 – 4.42 |
| 4. | Grade 7 – Grade 9 | 4.1 – 4.42 |
| 5. | Grade 10 – Grade 12 | 4.1 – 4.42 |
| CATEGORY | Points (%) |
|---|---|
| MEMORY(Includes Fluency & Recall speed) | 40% |
| PRONUNCIATION | 50% |
| PRESENTATION | 5% |
| OVERALL EFFECT | 5% |
The last quarter of a verse will be read out as a prompt to the participant. The participant then has to recall and chant the subsequent three verses that follow the prompted quarter.
Rounds per participant: 5
Response time: 10 seconds before time-out.
Note 1: Chapter opening and closing has to be chanted by all participants. Verse prompts shall start after the participant chants the opening. Closing should be chanted after all 5 rounds are completed. Verses prompted shall be randomly selected for each participant, within the assigned verses. Chanting of the opening and closing shall not be evaluated for pronunciation.
Note 2: A tie-breaker challenge to identify the verse(s) based on the given clue shall be provided to all participants. Tie breaker score shall be used in case of tie-s. Tie-breaker challenge will be administered after chanting.
Note 3: Group 1 format?
GITAFEST State coordinators shall submit the finalists selected by the Judge Panels at the completion of each of the GITAFEST State Finals. Only these Finalists will be eligible to advance to the NATIONAL GITA Chanting competition.
A consent form will be sent to the parents of these Finalists, explaining the logistics of participating in the event, through email. Parents are required to email their filled in consent form back to chantgitacmw@gmail.com, at their earliest, and before June 1, 2024.
Participant Families are expected to bear the expenses for their travel and lodging.
Hotels/Travel: Participating families are expected to reserve lodging/travel arrangements as per their convenience for the participant and the accompanying parents or guardians.
Both Ohare and Midway airports are equidistant from GitaFest venue (Badri, 11S080 Kingery HWY, Willowbrook, IL 60527).
The recommended hotels based on proximity to the venue are:
Participant families are not limited to these hotels. If participant families have a loyalty program with particular hotels and would like to avail those, or would like to stay with a family or friend in Chicago, they are encouraged to pursue these options, however ensure it is close enough to Badri to avoid travel/traffic delays.
Meals: Snacks and meals will be provided at Badri starting on July 6, 2024 (lunch) through July 7, 2024 (lunch).
MATSYA GROUP: GRADES 1 – 2
Learn thirty words from chapter 4 of Bhagavad Gita.
KURMA GROUP: GRADES 3 – 6
Learn sixty words from chapter 4 of Bhagavad Gita.
VARAHA GROUP: GRADES 7 – 9, GRADES 10 – 12
Learn ninety words from chapter 4 of Bhagavad Gita.
Gita Knowledge Quiz participants will be tested on the understanding of the meaning of these words within the context of the verses from chapter 4. Difficulty of the quiz will vary based on the age-group, and will be set appropriate to the age-group.
Note: In order to participate in the Gita Knowledge Quizzes, one should have participated in the Chapter 4 Chanting Competition conducted by one of the Chinmaya Centers. There will be a state level qualifying round. Ten Finalists from each State will be selected to represent the state in the Gita Fest Final Quiz that will be conducted online on July 6, 2024. Final Quiz will be proctored in Chinmaya Centers and in Chicago.
Have fun learning! Check out these fun activities to learn the vocabulary words.
GITA KRIDA: Grades 7 – 12
A game show will be conducted as part of Gita Fest 2024 with questions based on the following topics: a) Varāha Group Wordlist, b) meaning of the verses from Chapter 4, c) general knowledge of Bhagavad Gita, and d) the avatār-s or the incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
A preliminary selection round will be held on June 23, 2024 starting at 4 PM CT. Excellent performers from Varāha Group State Level Quiz will be eligible to participate in the Game Show. Participants are expected to be present in the affiliated Chinmaya Center to take part. Players are required to join the game show using their mobile device, after their identity is validated.
Final Game Show will be then hosted online on July 6, 2024 from 5 PM CT to 6 PM CT.
GITA TALKS: Grades 10 – 12
For Gita Yuva Talks, speakers are requested to talk for 3-5 minutes on a selected topic from the list below. Speakers should be prepared to answer questions on the topic of their presentation.
Qualified speakers will be emailed a zoom meeting link with the assigned time, prior to the event. Yuva Talks will be held via zoom on July 6, 2024 from 6 PM – 7:15 PM.
TOPICS FOR YUVA TALKS
GITA TALKS: Adults
Chinmaya Adult study group members, bala-vihar teachers and bala-vihar volunteers actively learning Bhagavad Gita are encouraged to speak on one of the specified topics for 3-5 minutes and share a recording of their speech through email to chantgitacmw@gmail.com, by July 1, 2024.
TOPICS for Adult Talks
More details coming soon!