Prerana Online Students Shine at Telugu Eisteddfod 2024 with Pillala Prerana Project
Prerana Paatashaala has once again demonstrated the power and potential of online education by clinching multiple prizes at the 81st edition of the Telugu Eisteddfod held at the Andhra Cultural Centre in Chatsworth, South Africa. This year marks a significant milestone for the school, which dedicated 2023 as the Year of the Children, focusing on the expansion and success of its innovative Pillala Prerana Project. What began as a small group of four children has blossomed into a thriving community of over 18 active participants from diverse regions, including Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Limpopo, Mauritius, and even Texas.
Sixteen children and one youth
member represented Prerana as independent candidates at the August Eisteddfod,
showcasing their talents across a range of categories. The youngest
participant, only six years old, competed in Class 1, while the eldest, an 18-year-old,
brought a Prerana youth into the competition. Prerana Paatashaala’s
students took part in 25 of the 60 eisteddfod items, reflecting their wide-ranging
talents and deep commitment to preserving and promoting Telugu language and
culture.
The results were nothing short of spectacular. The children achieved ten first-place awards and nine second-place finishes, with the first-place honours earned from padhyamulu (poems) and one from Baalala Paata (song).
Among the standout performers was six-year-old Ajay Ponnaluri (6) from Texas, who won first place in the Class 1 Padhyam category for his recitation of "Naanna thecchina pustakam." His older brother, Aneesh (8), also made the family proud by securing second place in the Class 5 Padhyam category with "Naa chethiki aidhu vrellu galavu." Their grandmother, Humsha Naidoo, expressed immense pride, saying, "Seeing my grandsons continue our family’s linguistic and cultural legacy is a joy beyond words."
Laharika Naidoo (9) also made
headlines with her first-place win in Padhyam, reciting "Akka Baava
Vasthaaru." Her mother, Kalay Naidoo, was overjoyed and said,
“Congratulations to all the Pillala Prerana on their outstanding performance.
We owe much to the dedication of their parents, who instill in their children a
deep love for the Telugu language. Our gratitude also goes to their Guru, who
not only imparts knowledge but also teaches them the beauty of perseverance,
patience, and tradition.”
Kiyaan Marimuthoo (10) from
Johannesburg was equally thrilled with his first-place win in padhyam.
His mother, Kajil Ragoo, shared, “Kiyaan, you have made us all proud. Your dedication
has not only inspired our community but also reminded us of the enduring power
of the guru-shishya parampara. Your success is a beacon of hope for others to
follow.”
Brother and sister duo Ayush (12) and
Sai-anne (14), both
emerged victorious, each securing first prizes. Ayush won in the Padhyam Class
11 category with "Uppu kappu rambu," while Sai-Anne took first place
in Baalala Paata with her rendition of "Koathi okati raathi meedha."
Their Avva (grandmother), Rani Naidoo Garu, expressed her joy and gratitude, saying,
“Your hard work and dedication have truly shone today. Prerana has brought us
together as a Telugu Kutumbam, and we are forever grateful for the knowledge
and friendships we’ve gained through this journey.”
From Mauritius, dedicated
learners Durvish (10) and Rehamsha (7) also made their mark, with Durvish taking third place and Rehamsha securing fourth in her category. Their proud mother,
Viswaneedevi Sunnasee, played a pivotal role in their training, ensuring they
were prepared to participate in the Eisteddfod.
Another young star, Devesh
Kunchala (8), won first prize for his bold presentation of "Burru pitta
Padhyam" and is already motivated to participate again next year. For all
these children, it was their first time at the Eisteddfod, and their phenomenal
results have set a high bar for future participation.
Aradhya Naidoo (8), from Umkomaas, was the sole representative from Pillala Prerana to participate live on the Eisteddfod stage. Her doting mother, Shanelle Naidoo, made sure she learned the padhyam for her category via WhatsApp and accompanied her to the competition on Saturday morning. In her debut at this event, Aradhya secured second place with her padhyam "Vaana Vaana Vallappa." Shanelle Naidoo expressed her admiration for the competition, remarking, "This was my first time attending. Although I wasn't there long enough to see all the participants, I must say that the children were absolutely amazing and brilliant. You can tell these kids will continue to shine brightly and carry our beautiful language forward."
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Shraven (7) and Dasharia (10), from Limpopo, were mentored by their mother and grandmother. Despite health challenges and living in Limpopo, these dedicated siblings overcame difficulties to excel in their first Eisteddfod. Shraven won first prize with his padhyam "Poovulu Poovulu rangula poovulu," and Dasharia earned second place with her padhyam "Neeve Thallivi Thandrivi" from Krishna Satakam. Their elated grandmother, Vanilla Naidoo, expressed, "Today at the eisteddfod was remarkable. The children surpassed themselves. It was a true delight. Our Prerana children were exceptional. A heartfelt thank you to Pravindra garu for your patience and understanding."
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The passion for the Telugu language knows no bounds. Sovish Pakki (11), a young individual from India who moved from the USA back to India, has excelled in the 'Padhyam Narayana Parameshwara', securing first place. Sovish, a student of the Visvas Institute, was introduced to Prerana after meeting Pravindra Adari online.
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This year, the only Prerana youth entry from Sumeshan Appalsamy (18) of Phoenix, South Africa, secured third place in the renowned padhyam "Brathiki Nannaalu nee." Even though he is in matric, this young man has a passion for the Telugu language and culture, dedicating himself to learning Telugu poems and songs through the Prerana Project. An elated Sumeshan said, "It was truly an honour to participate in such an event with hopes that our Andhra culture remains alive as more people join."
Prerana’s adult participants also contributed to the school’s success, competing in categories like Sight Reading, Keerthana, Lalitha Geetham, and Dialogue. They secured two first prizes, and four second places, further solidifying Prerana Paatashaala’s reputation as a centre of excellence in Telugu education.
All the learning and preparation
for the Eisteddfod took place online, through WhatsApp and Zoom, with each
participant receiving personalized attention. This approach not only ensured
high-quality performances but also showcased the effectiveness of online
learning as a powerful tool for language acquisition and cultural education.
Pravindra Adari, a key figure in
Prerana’s online education initiative, highlighted the benefits of this
approach: "The flexibility and accessibility of our online platforms
allowed learners of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the language at
their own pace. Through video tutorials, interactive exercises, and virtual
classrooms, our students immersed themselves in the nuances of Telugu grammar,
vocabulary, and pronunciation."
Adari also emphasized the
importance of multimedia resources in enriching the learning experience,
saying, "These tools enabled our students to grasp the cultural contexts
and expressions essential for mastering Telugu. They not only learned the language
but also connected deeply with its rich heritage."
Reflecting on the success at the
Eisteddfod, Adari added, “It was an incredible experience to have our Pillala
Prerana Project participants from South Africa, Mauritius, the USA, and India
unite and showcase their talents via Zoom. We are thrilled that the audience
appreciated our presentations and were amazed by the standard of our young
participants. This achievement would not have been possible without the
unwavering support of our children, parents, grandparents, and well-wishers.
Together, we have made history!”
Prerana has received its second award from the Andhra Maha Sabha of South Africa in recognition of the online initiative's exceptional contributions to promoting the Telugu language amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. On May 27, 2023, AMSSA President Lenny Naidoo presented an appreciation award to Pravindra Adari at the International Bhajana Festival. The award was met with widespread celebration from both the community and the public, who have witnessed the project's visible and remarkable impact of promoting the Telugu language.
The success of the Eisteddfod was also praised by AMSSA President, Lenny Naidoo, who noted, "We will continue to grow our flagship event, the Eisteddfod. The inclusion of Zoom participation, especially by candidates from the USA and Mauritius, has taken our event to new heights. A special thank you to Pravindra and the Prerana team for their dedication and commitment."
Prerana Paatashaala’s triumph at
the Telugu Eisteddfod 2024 is a testament to the dedication of its students,
parents, and educators. As the school continues to expand its reach and impact,
it remains committed to nurturing a new generation of Telugu speakers who are
proud of their linguistic and cultural heritage, no matter where in the world
they may be.
Prerana’s young Telugu learners are truly making waves in the global community.
Enrol your children in our FREE ONLINE TELUGU SCHOOL
Contact Pravindra Adari +27 79 871 5154
Here is a detailed summary of all the participants' results:
RESULTS: PRERANA PAATASHAALA - INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES - ONLINE
First Prize - Ajay Ponnaluri - Class 1 - A1 Boys - Padhyam
First Prize - Shraven Ponnan - Class 3A - A2 Boys - Padhyam
Second Prize - Aradhya Naidoo - Class 4A - A2 Girls - Padhyam
Fourth Place - Rehamsha Boolaky - Class 4A - A2 Girls - Padhyam
Second Prize - Aneesh Ponnaluri - Class 5A - A3 Boys - Padhyam
๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข ๐ช๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ถ๐จ๐ถ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ถ๐จ๐ถ ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด, ๐ค๐ถ๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ, ๐ค๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ข, ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ค, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ, ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ถ๐จ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ข๐ด๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฅ. ๐๐ต๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐ด๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ช๐ณ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ถ๐จ๐ถ ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ.
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