Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Culture ministry to hold nationwide competitions; entries open

The Union Ministry of Culture will hold nationwide competitions for Deshbhakti Geet writing, rangoli making, and lullaby writing, entries for which opened from Sunday as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

The initiative was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme on October 24.

“The Ministry of Culture will be holding nationwide competitions as #UnityInCreativity for all the above three activities starting from tehshil/taluka level to national level. The detailed guidelines for participation are available at ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (AKAM) website amritmahotsav.nic.in. This initiative aims to encourage participation so as to ensure substantive ‘Jan bhagidaari’,” the ministry said in a statement.

The competitions were digitally introduced to public by eminent personalities like Bharat Ratna recipient Lata Mangeshkar, who tweeted about the Deshbhakti Geet competition. Oscar winner A R Rahman tweeted about the Lori or lullaby writing competition and Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik for the rangoli making competition.

The competitions will go on for a couple of months.

Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said the prime minister has expressed that the country’s 75th year of independence should become a people’s movement through Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

“The Ministry of Culture is working with various ministries to identity such programmes and with communities at grassroots level to make it a celebration befitting the occasion,” the statement added.