Latest news with #IshaGramotsavam
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Isha Gramotsavam expands its footprints
Isha Gramotsavam, envisioned by Sadhguru, returns for its 17th edition and is set to take place over 35,000 villages across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and for the first time in Odisha from August 10. Envisioned by Sadhguru, Isha Gramotsavam is said to be India's largest rural sports festival. Organised by Isha Outreach, the 2025 edition will see more than 6,000 teams and more than 50,000 participants, including 5,000 women taking the field. The festival includes men's and women's throwball, with teams progressing from cluster-level matches to divisional rounds and culminating in a grand finale on September 21, 2025, at the Adiyogi, Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore. A Para Volleyball event for players with physical disabilities will also be featured. Swami Pulaka, Co-ordinator Isha Gramotsavam, while addressing the media, said, 'Launched by Sadhguru in 2004, Isha Gramotsavam is not for professional players, but for everyday rural people, including farmers, fishermen, daily-wage workers, homemakers and schoolchildren, stepping onto the field.' He also said that teams can be formed only with players from the same village panchayat, bringing communities together and to celebrate the local pride. Registration is free but mandatory for all participants. According to the organisers, competing teams stand a chance to win from a prize pool of ₹67 lakh, with ₹5 lakh each being awarded to the winners in both men's and women's category. Speaking about the same, Sadhguru said, 'Isha Gramotsavam is a celebration of Life through Sport. A game can unite people beyond all social divisions; this is the power of Sport, that it can erase boundaries of caste, religion, and other identities with celebratory playfulness.' The event also celebrates India's living cultural heritage through traditional artforms as well as dying art forms like Nadaswaram, Thavil, Panchari melam, Chenda melam, Gusaadi (a tribal dance form) among others. Public competitions in Rangoli and traditional martial arts are also planned. The initiative has previously received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar from the Government of India. Past editions have seen attendance and endorsements from sports figures like Sachin Tendulkar and PV Sindhu. Isha Outreach has been recognised as a National Sports Promotion Organisation by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The event is framed by the organisers as an attempt to use sport to address social issues in rural areas, including substance abuse and community divisions.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Isha Gramotsavam 2025: 50k villagers across six states to prove mettle in traditional sports
New Delhi: Is sport only for the chosen few? No, according to the Isha Foundation. Now returning for its 17th edition in 2025, Isha Gramotsavam — India's largest rural sports festival — is set to reach over 35,000 villages across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and, for the first time, Odisha. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Organised by Isha Outreach, the registrations, which are free, for this year's event will be entirely online from July 6 to Aug 9. Isha Gramotsavam, launched by Sadhguru in 2004, expects the participation of around 5,000 teams and nearly 50,000 villagers representing 30,000 villages. The month-long tournament will begin on Aug 10 in Mysuru, featuring volleyball and para volleyball events for men and a throwball event for women — played across three levels: cluster, divisional and finals. Alongside, traditional rural games like gilli danda, tyre race and hopscotch will be revived. The grand finale on Sept 21 will be held in front of the 112-ft Adiyogi statue at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. There's a prize pool of Rs 67 lakh, including Rs 5 lakh each for the top teams in both men's and women's categories. "The Gramotsavam is not for professional players, but for rural people — farmers, fishermen, daily-wage workers, homemakers, schoolchildren," said Swami Pulaka, the event coordinator. "The teams can only consist of players of the same village panchayat to bring communities together and celebrate local pride." Last year, over 43,000 players and 4,800 teams from 162 places participated in the rural sports event. In a heartening shift, over 10,000 women took part — 220 of them aged above 50 years — many of them stepping on a sports field for the first time in their lives. Ayesha from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, recalled, "Till two years ago, I had never played anything except in my school days. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But then I learnt about this event. The Isha volunteers persuaded not only me but also my cousins and elderly relatives to participate. We began practising after our respective work every day. The family which only met once or twice a year on special occasions started getting together every day." Volunteers too carry unforgettable memories. Neha Gupta, a Delhi-based lawyer and volunteer, shared, "I remember going to this remote village in Tamil Nadu. There I met this woman in her 70s who had never touched a ball in her life. She was very reluctant to play, worried about what people would say. Yet she wanted to experience the thrill at least once. We nudged her and she ventured into the playing field. It was one of those moments when I felt the worth of my contribution. " Pulaka acknowledged the challenges in encouraging women to break social barriers. "The idea is to push through shyness and customs," he explained. "We start indoors, playing around with a ball. Gradually, we move the activity outdoors. Once the hesitancy wears off, there is joy on the faces of the once-reluctant players." The festival has also caught the attention of sporting greats. Cricketers Virender Sehwag and Venkatesh Prasad and Rio Paralympics high jump gold winner Mariyappan Thangavelu have graced the event. In 2018, Isha Gramotsavam was honoured with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar by the President of India for its contribution to promoting sports. The Gramotsavam continues to redefine what sport means in rural India — not as a privilege for a few, but a celebration that everyone can find joy in.
