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{{Short description|Annual international cultural festival in India for Telugu children}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox recurring event
|name = 
|logo = Balotsav_2017_Logo.png
|logo_alt =
|logo_caption = Balotsav 2017 Logo
|logo_size =
|image =
|image_size =
|alt =
|caption =
|status =active
|genre = Children's festival
|date = 3–4 days in the second week of November<br>(close to [[Bal Diwas|Children's Day]])
|begins =
|ends =
|frequency = Annually
|venue = [[Kothagudem]]{{efn|1991–2016|name=1991–2016}}<br>[[VVIT]]{{efn|2017–|name=2017–}}
|location =
|coordinates = 
|country = India
|years_active = {{age|1991|10|11}}
|first = 1991
|founder_name = 
|last = 28–30 November 2019
|prev = 28–30 November 2018
|next =
|participants =
|attendance =
|capacity =
|area =
|budget =
|activity =
|leader_name =
|patron =
|organised = 
|filing =
|people =
|member =
|sponsor = 
|website = {{URL|https://www.balotsav.com/}}{{efn|name=1991–2016}}<br>{{URL|https://www.balotsav.in/}}{{efn|name=2017–}}
|current =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Balotsav''' ({{Translation|Children's festival}}) is an annual international [[cultural festival]] conducted in India for [[Telugu language|Telugu]] children.<ref name="VVIT to host Balotsav 2017" /> It includes competitions in various aspects such as painting, [[elocution]] and drama. It was started as a town-level event in 1991. Since then the event has gained popularity among the school children, and is now a national level event with thousands of participants from several [[states of India]]. Prior to 2017, the event was conducted in [[Kothagudem]] in the second week of November. Starting in 2017, the venue has been changed to the [[Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology]], [[Guntur district]], Andhra Pradesh.

==History==
In the interests of the [[Telugu language]] and to encourage talent and competitive spirit among school children, a town level inter-school festival was organized by the [[Kothagudem|Kothagudem Club]] for the first time in 1991 with competitions in four categories — [[essay|essay writing]], [[elocution]], [[quiz|general knowledge]] and painting. In 1995, it was conducted at district level with competitions in eight categories for two days. In 2000, celebrating ten years, this festival was retitled as "Balotsav" and was conducted at state level, with 3000 children from six districts of Andhra Pradesh (present day [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Telangana]]).<ref name="బాలోత్సవ్ అంకురార్పణ">{{cite web|title=బాలోత్సవ్ అంకురార్పణ|url=http://www.balotsav.com/html/balotsaw-ankurarpana.htm|website=Balotsav|accessdate=10 November 2017|language=te}}</ref>

==Event and activities==
The festival is conducted in the second week of November, close to the [[Children's Day of India]].<ref name="బాలోత్సవ్ అంకురార్పణ" /> Competitions are held in categories such as painting, elocution, poetry, essay writing, singing, dancing, classical performances, [[Folk dance|folk performance]]s, [[crafts]], [[monodrama]] and [[Letter (message)|letter writing]]. Most of these competitions are held for the Telugu language, however a few of them such as the [[spelling bee]] and public speaking are conducted for the English language as well.<ref name="పోటీ అంశాలు">{{cite web|title=పోటీ అంశాలు|url=https://www.balotsav.in/competitions/cultural-events|website=Balotsav|accessdate=10 November 2017|language=te|archive-date=10 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110171858/https://www.balotsav.in/competitions/cultural-events|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In recent years==
===2001–2011===
After being recognized at state and national level, the number of participants consistently increased. Over the years, the event widened its scope in terms of competition categories and levels. Currently, competitions are held in 36 categories.<ref name="బాలోత్సవ్ అంకురార్పణ" /> The annual participation statistics were as follows;
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Years !!Participation !! Notes
|-
| 2001|| 4,000 students from 6 districts|| rowspan=11|<ref name="బాలోత్సవ్ అంకురార్పణ" />
|-
| 2002|| 5,400 students from 12 districts
|-
| 2003|| 7,000 students from 14 districts
|-
| 2004|| 8,000 students from 16 districts
|-
| 2005|| 8,200 students
|-
| 2006|| 8,500 students
|-
| 2007|| 9,000 students
|-
| 2008|| 10,000 students
|-
| 2009|| 12,000 students
|-
| 2010|| ''not available''
|-
| 2011|| ''not available''
|}

===2012–2016===
In 2012, the 21st iteration of the festival was held from 9 November to 11 November. The special attraction of this iteration was ''Vyarthamtho Artham'' (Making creative products by using waste material), and a short film competition.<ref name="‘Balotsav’ brings out the best in children">{{cite web|title=‘Balotsav’ brings out the best in children|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/balotsav-brings-out-the-best-in-children/article4089213.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|date=12 November 2012}}</ref> In 2013, the 22nd iteration of the festival was held from 8 November to 10 November. The opening ceremony was launched by one of the youngest authors from India, Nidhi Prakash from [[Bangalore]]. The event witnessed 5,112 children from 512 schools.<ref name="Balotsav off to a spectacular start">{{cite web|title=Balotsav off to a spectacular start|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/balotsav-off-to-a-spectacular-start/article5332600.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|date=9 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="‘Balotsav’ 2013 to be held from Nov. 8">{{cite web|title=‘Balotsav’ to be held from Nov. 8|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/balotsav-to-be-held-from-nov-8/article5173888.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|language=en-IN|date=27 September 2013}}</ref> In 2014, the 23rd iteration of the festival was held from 7 November to 9 November, with participants from six different states – Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, [[Odisha]], Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The festival attracted 15,000 students from Telangana, and 2,000 students from the other five states.<ref name="Balotsav-2014 begins on grand note">{{cite web|title=Balotsav-2014 begins on grand note|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/141108/nation-current-affairs/article/balotsav-2014-begins-grand-note|website=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|access-date=10 November 2017|date=8 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="Kothagudem coal town to host Balotsav-2014 in November in Telangana">{{cite web|title=Kothagudem coal town to host Balotsav-2014 in November in Telangana|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/kothagudem-coal-town-to-host-balotsav2014-in-november-in-telangana/article6410038.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|date=15 September 2014}}</ref> In 2015, the 24th iteration of the festival was held from 12 November to 14 November. It was inaugurated by Shaik Sadhiq Pasha, a high school student who participated in the [[United Nations General Assembly]] as a part of the children's delegation.<ref name="Three-day Balotsav gets under way in Kothagudem">{{cite web|title=Three-day Balotsav gets under way in Kothagudem|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/threeday-balotsav-gets-under-way-in-kothagudem/article7875760.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|date=14 November 2015}}</ref> In 2016, to mark the [[silver jubilee]], the 25th iteration of the festival was expanded to four days, from 10 November to 13 November with 29 events. The closing ceremony was presided over by the [[K. Chandrashekar Rao ministry (2014–19)|IT and Municipal Administration Minister of Telangana]] [[K. T. Rama Rao]].<ref name="National Balotsav-2016 from Nov.10">{{cite web|title=National Balotsav-2016 from Nov.10|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/National-Balotsav-2016-from-Nov.10/article16065779.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|language=en-IN|date=3 November 2016}}</ref><ref name="Warangal girl excels at Balotsav-2016">{{cite web|title=Warangal girl excels at Balotsav-2016|url=http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Warangal-Tab/2016-11-15/Warangal-girl-excels-at-Balotsav-2016/264053|website=The Hans India|accessdate=10 November 2017|date=15 November 2016}}</ref>

===2017===
In 2017, the 26th iteration of the festival was conducted from 12 November to 14 November. After it was launched in 1991, the original organizers had originally decided to cancel the festival in 2017. Vasireddy Ramesh Babu, [[convener]] of several previous iterations, said during a [[Press-conference|press conference]]that the [[Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology]] (VVIT) had expressed its willingness to host the event, and it was subsequently given the project. It was organized in collaboration with [[Acharya Nagarjuna University]], [[Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation]], Andhra Pradesh State Skill Corporation, and Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society.<ref name="VVIT to host Balotsav 2017">{{cite web|title=VVIT to host Balotsav 2017|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/vvit-to-host-balotsav-2017/articleshow/61106611.cms|website=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=10 November 2017|date=16 October 2017}}</ref> More than 12,000 children took part in the festival. The closing ceremony was presided over by the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the [[Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly]], [[Kodela Siva Prasad Rao]] and [[Mandali Buddha Prasad]]. On a closing note, Vasireddy said that VVIT would be hosting the fest in the future.<ref name="Balotsav 2017 concludes">{{cite web|title=Balotsav concludes|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/balotsav-concludes/article20463749.ece|website=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=17 November 2017|date=16 November 2017}}</ref>

==Notes==
;Footnotes
{{notelist}}
;Citations
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Children's festivals in India]]
[[Category:Festivals in Andhra Pradesh]]

Balotsav - Revision history

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