A Choicest Pearls iBAM Competition from the Mouths of the Choicest Kids

Organizers and winners. Back row (from right): iBAM Founding-Donor Anand Mohan Bhagavatula; iBAM Secretary Arunakanth Duvvury; iBAM President Mallik Putcha; Chief Guest Vice Consul-General of India Sabyasachi De; TCA President  Brahmananda Reddy Beriveera; TCA Cultural Secretary Srinivas Manthena and TCA Literary Co-ordinator Indira Cheruvu. Trophy Winners (from left): Lakshmi Kandala (iBAM Potana); Naagita Sanvi Kumpatla (iBAM Potana); Advitha Udthawar (iBAM Potana); Srividya Kandala (iBAM Potana); Ananya Basavaraju (iBAM Potana); Gayatri Pemmaraju (iBAM Potana & iBAM Gajendra); Abhiram Dhulipala (iBAM Potana); Vaishnavi Renduchintala (iBAM Potana & iBAM Gajendra); NIkhil Maddineni (iBAM Potana); Akhil Velagaleti (iBAM Potana & iBAM Gajendra); Kaushal Pemmaraju (iBAM Potana) and Vikas Thoutam (iBAM Potana).

Organizers and winners. Back row (from right): iBAM Founding-Donor Anand Mohan Bhagavatula; iBAM Secretary Arunakanth Duvvury; iBAM President Mallik Putcha; Chief Guest Vice Consul-General of India Sabyasachi De; TCA President  Brahmananda Reddy Beriveera; TCA Cultural Secretary Srinivas Manthena and TCA Literary Co-ordinator Indira Cheruvu.
Trophy Winners (from left): Lakshmi Kandala (iBAM Potana); Naagita Sanvi Kumpatla (iBAM Potana); Advitha Udthawar (iBAM Potana); Srividya Kandala (iBAM Potana); Ananya Basavaraju (iBAM Potana); Gayatri Pemmaraju (iBAM Potana & iBAM Gajendra); Abhiram Dhulipala (iBAM Potana); Vaishnavi Renduchintala (iBAM Potana & iBAM Gajendra); NIkhil Maddineni (iBAM Potana); Akhil Velagaleti (iBAM Potana & iBAM Gajendra); Kaushal Pemmaraju (iBAM Potana) and Vikas Thoutam (iBAM Potana).

By Indira Cheruvu & Mallik Putcha

SUGAR LAND: The first ever iBhagavatam Aani Mutyalu (iBAM) Padyalu (poem) recitation competition was held with the divine blessings of Lord Krishna at Sri Astalakshmi Temple, on December 9, 2017 with 29 kids aged 4 to 18 participating. It was a well-planned and executed event conducted by the combined dedicated efforts of the iBAM team, Telugu Cultural Association and the TCA-Telugu Badi (Telugu School).

iBAM is a name given to the internet-based group of artifacts consisting of the print, web-based, and mobile app of Bhagavatam Aanimutyalu, which is an innovative method to teach spiritual works to Indo-Americans. Also, it is a new method to reach out the younger generations in digital platforms as well as in animation technology, which is currently being developed and will be launched shortly.

Potana – a great Telugu poet of the 15th century – transcribed the original Veda Vyasa’s Bhagavata Puranam from Sanskrit into Telugu. Of the total of 7012 Padyalu, iBAM has selected 324 for presentation as representative of the choicest (aani) pearls (mutyalu) of bhakti (devotion to God) and righteous way of life. Potana did not want to sell his writings for riches to any emperors or kings or any mean human beings, and spent his life farming and dedicating to the service of God.  All of Mankind has to be grateful to this great poet, Potanaamatyulu Garu, as he is reverentially called, and acknowledge his great work as “a shower of devotion, emotion and great knowledge.”

iBAM Kids with their certificates (from right): Back row: Kaushal Pemmaraju, Abhisri Dasari, Nagasriram Dasari, Vikas Thoutam, Harshit Chilukuri, Lakshmi Kandala, Gayatri Pemmaraju; Middle row: Akhil Velagaleti, Sai Lasya Sri Potta, Shrestha Pendurti, Srividya Kandala, Naagita Sanvi Kumpatla, Eshita Bangrey, Advitha Udthawar; Front row: Nikhil Maddineni, Bhargavaram Velagaleti, Shritan Chokkaarapu, Priyanka Chilukuri, Abhiram Dhulipala, Vaishnavi Renduchintala, Sriram Sandilya Garimella, Ananya Basavaraju.

iBAM Kids with their certificates (from right): Back row: Kaushal Pemmaraju, Abhisri Dasari, Nagasriram Dasari, Vikas Thoutam, Harshit Chilukuri, Lakshmi Kandala, Gayatri Pemmaraju; Middle row: Akhil Velagaleti, Sai Lasya Sri Potta, Shrestha Pendurti, Srividya Kandala, Naagita Sanvi Kumpatla, Eshita Bangrey, Advitha Udthawar; Front row: Nikhil Maddineni, Bhargavaram Velagaleti, Shritan Chokkaarapu, Priyanka Chilukuri, Abhiram Dhulipala, Vaishnavi Renduchintala, Sriram Sandilya Garimella, Ananya Basavaraju.

The Indo-American Telugu kids who took part in this competition selected and memorized 29 of the choicest pearls. They mesmerized the audience by reciting the poems melodiously and at the same time showing their reverence to the Goddess Saraswathi (the Goddess of Knowledge, Education).   

The chief guest to this Divine Recitation Competition was the Vice Consul-General of India, Sabyasachide De who attended despite his busy schedule, and he was also equally enchanted by the recitation and said he would like to attend next year’s competition by sitting with the audience and not on stage.

The participants were judged by seven well-known and respected judges, a priest of a Hindu Temple in Katy and a team of 6 writers who belong to the very well-known Houston Telugu Literary group. The judges felt that the ‘chitti Potanaamaatuyulu’ (‘little Potanas’) took everybody to a different world and that it was a great experience.

After the initial rounds of contest for the iBAM-PotanaTrophy for 4 age-groups, the first 3 winners from these groups took part in the final contest – for the Gajendra Championship (Lord of Elephants) Trophy.

The 12 kids who won the iBAM-Potana Trophy are: Under 5: 1st place Nikhil Maddineni; 5 – 8 yrs.: 1st – Akhil Velagaleti, 2nd – Abhiram Dhulipala, 3rd – Vaishnavi Renduchintala, 4th – Kaushal Pemmaraju, 5th – Ananya Basavaraju; 9 – 11 yrs.: 1st – Naagita Sanvi Kumpatla, 2nd – Srividya Kandala, 3rd – Advitha Udthawar; and for 12 – 18 yrs.: 1st – Gayatri Pemmaraju, 2nd – Lakshmi Kandala, 3rd – Vikas Thoutam.

The three “Little Potana’s who won the iBAM-Gajendra Championship Trophy are First Prize Akhil Velagaleti, First Runner Vaishnavi Renduchintala and Second Runner-up Gayatri Pemmaraju.

All these participants were marvelous to watch and the organizing committee of iBAM, TCA and the Telugu Badi Teachers from Sugarland, Katy, and Cypress feel encouraged at the success of their inaugural event. They plan to conduct similar Competition later this year on September 15.

Currently, the organization is focussed on iBAM Animation Project for the extensive outreach with the younger generation and beyond.

To support to the iBAM efforts, please visit www.bhagavatamanimutyalu.com.

The participants in the competition were:
• Alekhya Sambaraj
• Veeksha  Dasika
• Nikhil  Maddineni
• Bhargavaram Velagaleti
• Lakshmi Sarvani Kandala
• Ananya  Basavaraju
• Vikas Thoutham
• Shriram Sandilya  Garimella
• Kaushal  Ram  Pemmaraju
• Sai Laasyasri  Potta
• Naga Dasari
• Harshit  Chilukuri
• Sharanya Gunturi
• Abhisri Dasari
• Gayatri Pemmaraju
• Eshitha  Bangray
• Akhil  Velagaleti
• Gitali  Yempati
• Akhil   Maddineni
• Vaishnavi    Renduchintala
• Karthik  Kasturi
• Sanvi Kumpatla
• Abhiram Dhulipala
• Srividya Kandala
• Shreshta  Pendurti
• Advitha  Udthawar
• Shritan  Chokkarapu
• Akhila  Marella
• Priyanka  Chilukuri