578 groups to participate in Khasdar bhajan contest from today

Nagpur: The preliminary round of the Khasdar bhajan competition, conceptualised by Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, will commence on Tuesday (Jan 7 and continue until Jan 11). The competition will be held across six assembly constituencies in Nagpur.
The inaugural ceremony will be held on Tuesday at Shri Sant Kolba Swami Hall, Mangalwari, with Sevasadan President Kanchan Gadkari and Janardanpant Bothe Guruji, General Secretary of the All India Gurudev Seva Mandal, Gurukunj Mozari, as chief guests.
State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, MLA Pravin Datke, Chairman of the Khasdar Cultural Festival Committee Prof Anil Sole, BJP city president Bunty Kukde, BJP Mahila Morcha chief Pragati Patil, and former Mayor Archana Dehankar will grace the event.
A remarkable 578 bhajan groups from Nagpur have registered for this year's competition. Each group is required to perform two devotional songs within an eight-minute timeframe. The first song must be a Gavlan (devotional folk song) or Abhang, while the second can be a traditional folk song, Jogwa, Gondhal, or any other devotional song.
This year, the competition will feature awards in two age categories — youth (21-35 years) and seniors (35-70 years). Five prizes will be awarded in the youth category and seven in the senior section, with cash rewards of Rs 21,000, Rs 15,000, Rs 11,000, Rs7,000, and Rs5,000 respectively.
The grand finale will be held at Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Auditorium, Reshimbagh, where the winners will be felicitated by Union minister Gadkari.
Preliminary Round Schedule
Jan 7 (Tuesday): Central and North Nagpur at Shri Sant Kolba Swami Hall, Old Mangalwari, Central Avenue
Jan 8 (Wednesday): East Nagpur at Santaji Hall, Chhapru Nagar
Jan 9 (Thursday): South Nagpur at Senior Citizens' Recreation Centre, Uday Nagar Ring Road
Jan 10 (Friday): South-West Nagpur at Chhatrapati Hall, Wardha Road
Jan 11 (Saturday): West Nagpur at Shri Ram Mandir, Ram Nagar
Timings: 9am to 8pm on all days