North America: Kala Manjari is a performing arts competition organised by the World Hindu Council of America(VHPA) to connect with the Indian diaspora and strengthen their cultural roots who are residing across North America. The competition was organised in association with Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council(HMEC). The competition brought together more than 125 participants. In this 2026 edition of the Kala Manjari performing arts competition contestants were categorised into three age groups which is 5 to 9 group, 10 to 14 age group and the participants belonging to the age category of 15 to 20 years.
The events organised included solo bhajan singing, solo dance and shloka chanting. The chanting competition included recitation of Hanuman Chalisa and Ganapati Atharvashirsha. The organisers of Kala Manjari Performing Arts Competition asserted that the event was aimed to provide a platform to the young artists to present their skills. It was also intended to strengthen their cultural roots and give more exposure to the richness of the traditional heritage of India and the Hindu practices.
The judges panel evaluated the entries across all disciplines. Dance performances were judged by Srilalitha Akurati, Anitha Srikant and Ruchi Shah. Vocal categories were evaluated by Lakshmi Sumati Ramesh and Ankita Saha. The program was coordinated by Smitha Katti, Suruchi Jain and Vallabha Tantry, with support from Niyati Vasani and Tejal Shah. The apex motive for facilitating Kala Manjari was to promote cultural awareness and pride about the Indian civilisational heritage among the youth of the Hindu community who reside overseas.
Kala Manjari acted as a platform and an opportunity for the young participants to connect with India and its rich cultural ethos. Also, such platforms help young people to build life skills such as confidence, stress management, public speaking ability, competitive approach in life etc. Such opportunities indeed mould the personality of an individual, the organisers of Kala Manjari affirmed. It also provided a common platform for the members of the Indian community across North America to connect, relive and cherish their Hindu roots along with transferring it to the next generations.
