Academic Competitions
Every year during the month of February or March, Telugu Badi organizes academic competitions for children of all ages. These competitions are meant to bring out the talent in the children and give them a view into Telugu Literary and Cultural aspects.
We are excited to announce that the registrations for the Academic competitions for 2026 are now open. This year we will have 5 competitions. They are Chitram, Maata, Padam (Only DSM Telugu Badi Students), Padyam and Vyasam. Please see the details for the competitions below.
Groups
To ensure a fair and competitive competition the participants will be grouped age wise. Below is the group that they would fall under based on their date of birth.
Group 1 Age <=5. If the child has not turned 6 as of 9/1/2025 they will be in this category.
Group 2 Age 6 to <=8. If the child has not turned 9 as of 9/1/2025 they will be in this category.
Group 3 Age 9 to <=12. If the child has not turned 13 as of 9/1/2025 they will be in this category.
Group 4 Age 13 to <=15. If the child has not turned 16 as of 9/1/2025 they will be in this category.
Competition Schedule
The below schedule is applicable to all groups.
Date: Saturday March 7th, 2026
Time: 10AM – 4 PMLocation: West DesMoines LRC & For online participants Zoom link will be shared later
Competitions: Chitram, Padyam Regular , Padyam Advanced , Vyaasam , Padam and Maata
Entries accepted until 11am on Mar 6th , 2026
Tentative Competition Timings
Chitram 10 AM – 10:45 AM
Padyam S 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Padyam V 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Maata 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Padam 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Vyaasam 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Competitions Details
Chitram
Traditional drawing competition with a subject related to Telugu culture. Participants will need to bring their own coloring supplies. A sheet of paper will be provided on which the participants will draw based on the theme provided. Each group will have a different theme, so please watch carefully for a subsequent communication about the theme and practice accordingly. Participants must be in person for Chitram competition.
Padyam Saadhaarana
Padyam and Bhaavam for the poem will need to be recited by the participants. Any padyam can be chosen not more than 4 lines like Vemana, Sumati , Krishna satakam or any other satakams from Telugu Literature. You must send us a copy of your padyam with bhaavam from a credible source before the start of the competition. Participants can register for either for Saadharana or Visesha (NOT Both categories of Padyam)
Padyam Visesha
Padyam and Bhaavam for the poem will need to be recited by the participants. Any padyam from existing Telugu Literature can be chosen with more than 4/5 lines. Please make sure you are choosing a గ్రంథ కావ్యం other than Vemana, Sumati , Krishna satakam or any other satakams. Examples include భాగవతం, మహాభారతం etc but not limited to those. You must send us a copy of your padyam with bhaavam from a credible source before the start of the competition. Participants can register for either for Saadharana or Visesha (NOT Both categories of Padyam)
Maata
A topic will be provided to the participants in advance. You are expected to prepare for the topics and speak for a minimum of 1 min and maximum of 2 minutes. Topics will vary by group and will be announced shortly. Participants are expected to speak about the topic without any visual aids (notes, flash cards, documents etc.) or any prompting by others in the room.
Vyaasam A list of topics will be provided to the participants in advance. You are expected to prepare for the topics and write in Telugu on paper with in 30 mins for a topic chosen by judges in the competition. Topics will vary by group and will be announced shortly. Participants are expected to write about the topic. Online participants also need to write during the scheduled time of the competition.
Padam Each grade of DSM Telugu Badi student will be given words to write them on board (like dictation) and who ever writes the maximum number of correct will be judged winner. This will be conducted in the classroom itself. Padam is only DSM Telugu Badi students
Participation Fee
Participation Fee 12 USD per competition
2 slices of pizza will be provide for in-person participants
To participate in the competition, there will be a fee of $12 per person per competition. If you are registering multiple children, please use the same email id so that we can consolidate and send you an invoice for payment. Please contact competitions@dsmtelugubadi.org if you have any questions.
Registration
To register, please use the link below.
DSM TeluguBadi 2026 Competitions Registration Form – Fill out form
Once you complete the registration, we will send you an invoice based on the number of children and competitions that you have enrolled for. Please ensure that you pay the fee before you arrive for the competition. We will not be collecting cash at the venue.
Topics for Chitram (Drawing)
Group 1: Picture will be given at the competition (Replicate)
Group 2: Any Telugu Festival Depiction
Group 3 & 4: Scenes from any Indian Epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc)
Topics for Maata (Speech)
Group 1: Favorite Toy or Fruit
Group 2: Favorite Toy / Fruit / Vacation in India
Group 3: Any famous city from India
Group 4: Famous Freedom Fighter / Political Leader from Telugu States
Topics for Vyaasam (Essay Writing)
Participants need to prepare for all three and come to competitions. Judges would give any one of them on the day of competition
For Group 3 & lower **
1. What would you do if you don’t have a mobile for a day?
2. My favorite festival in India (Example: Diwali / Sankranti)
3. My favorite family member (Grandmother / Brother / Sister)
For Group 4
1. What would you do if you don’t have a mobile for a day?
2. My dream country
3. A temple in India and its significance
** If you have finished Vignaanam of DSM Telugubadi and fall under Group3, you will automatically moved to Group 4