178 Gen Z finalists in National Chinmaya Gita Chanting Competition Finals

Mumbai, Dec 01

In the presence of Swami Swaroopananda, the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, 178 state-level finalists from 16 states across India gathered at Chinmaya Vibhooti near Pune on 29 and 30 November for the National Finals of the Chinmaya Gita Chanting Competition. The event was also part of the year-long celebrations leading up to the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav next year, which will mark 75 years of Chinmaya Mission’s service to communities worldwide.

The campus resonated with the chanting of Bhagavad Gita verses by children—continuing a tradition initiated by Swami Chinmayananda in the early 1980s.

As is well known, Swami Chinmayananda championed the Gita’s message and launched the Gita Chanting Competition with the vision “Chant – Study – Know – Live.” When children begin by chanting and become familiar with the rhythm and language, curiosity about the meaning naturally arises. Over time, that curiosity matures into an understanding of how to live the Gita’s teachings. This vision has continued for more than four decades, reaching hundreds of thousands of children worldwide every year.

Children competed in six categories based on age and the number of verses assigned. The competition remained inclusive, with this year’s finalists also including children with disabilities who had qualified at the state level. The judging panel featured Swamins and Brahmacharins trained in Vedanta at Chinmaya Mission.

The journey to the finals began several months earlier across numerous cities. This year, the competition reached 300,000 students from 2,500 schools across 16 states. After local and state-level rounds, the finalists arrived at Chinmaya Vibhooti—Chinmaya Mission’s Vision Centre—for the national event.

While the children competed and engaged in value-based activities with volunteers, their parents explored spiritually significant spaces across the Chinmaya Vibhooti campus, such as Chinmaya Jeevan Darshan, Swanubhooti Vatika, Pranav Ganesh Mandir, and Chinmaya Maruti Mandir. Many spent quiet moments reflecting in these serene spaces.

Each year, one chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is selected for the competition, and children receive learning aids to help them chant with confidence. This year’s competition focused on Chapter 15 — Purushottama Yoga, which reveals the eternal nature of the Self and our supreme connection with the Divine.

The finals concluded with great excitement as the winners were honoured. Addressing the participants and their parents, Swami Swaroopananda said:

“The real victory lies not in the prize, but in children beginning a lifelong relationship with the Gita and turning to its wisdom as they grow.”

On the eve of Gita Jayanti, the event also witnessed the launch of a special initiative—Gita Panchamrit. This programme invites people from all backgrounds to learn and reflect on five selected verses of the Gita. For many, reading the Gita can feel overwhelming, especially without familiarity with Sanskrit. Gita Panchamrit offers an accessible entry point. Five verses have been selected from the Gita’s 700 verses to help introduce its essence to the maximum number of people.

Looking ahead, Manisha Khemlani, CEO of Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, announced that the Chinmaya Gita Chanting Competition in 2026 will focus on Chapter 12. The National Finals will be followed by an International Finale in December 2026, featuring participants from over 12 countries where Chinmaya Mission organises similar competitions.