Kalotsavam · School Kalotsavam
A state-level inter-school cultural festival for CBSE schools in Kerala, one tier above the cluster-level kalotsavs: 43 items across four school-class categories (III-IV, V-VII, VIII-X, XI-XII), with A, B and C grades and numeric judging criteria for most items.
A ready-made state-level school arts festival: 43 items from drawing and elocution to Oppana and Band Display, four class-based categories from Class III to XII, boys, girls and common entries, and grade points instead of placings.
This template models the top tier of a three-step school arts festival: school level, cluster level and then a single state-level gathering where the best performers from every cluster meet. It was built from the 2024 state manual, which lists every item, the class categories, the time limits, the general rules and a printed judging table for most items. The state level is the last rung, so every entry arriving here has already won a place below; the event itself decides grades and points rather than who gets in. Rules change from edition to edition, so check the current manual before reusing items, timings or eligibility.
Categories are decided by school class, not age. Category I takes Classes III and IV, Category II takes Classes V to VII, Category III takes Classes VIII to X and Category IV takes Classes XI and XII. The manual prints no ages, so the template carries four placeholder age bands (8-9, 10-12, 13-15 and 16-17) only so the platform can place entrants; the real gate is the class restriction on each category. The programme grows with the class: Category I has 22 entries to choose from, Category II 35, Category III 59 and Category IV 57, because extempore, story writing, versification and further new items are introduced from Category III. In all, the four categories hold 173 item entries, 43 distinct items.
Eleven group items run in every category: Group Song, Patriotic Song, Mime, One Act Play, Western Music Concert, Band Display, Oppana, Margam Kali, Thiruvathirakali, Kolkkali and Duffmutt. Their time limits range from 5 minutes for Mime to 20 minutes for One Act Play and Band Display. Oppana, Margam Kali and Thiruvathirakali are set up as girls’ teams, Kolkkali and Duffmutt as boys’ teams, and the rest are open to both. The manual’s common-item rule also lets a team be boys only, girls only or mixed, so a coordinator can widen who may enter. Group Dance (girls) appears in Categories II and III and Power Point Presentation is a 65-minute team item in Categories III and IV.
Many individual items are split into separate boys and girls entries from Category II onward, including Light Music, Folk Dance, Bharatanatyam and Classical Music, while elocution runs in English, Hindi and Malayalam and recitation in up to five languages. Drawing, painting, essay and story-writing items are timed in hours, up to 120 minutes for the longer art items. Results are grades, not places: 70 per cent and above is an A worth 5 points, 60 to 69 per cent a B worth 3 and 50 to 59 per cent a C worth 1, and nothing below 50 per cent scores. Every item is installed as scored out of 100 with entry fees left at zero for the organiser to set. Printed judging criteria are carried for most items; Essay Writing (whose printed marks add to 120), Mappilapattu, Mono Act, Ottanthullal and Patriotic Song ship without criteria rather than with invented ones, so the organiser adds a score sheet for those five.
Where this event comes from
Built from the 2024 edition of a state manual for a school kalotsav held across three levels. The three-step school, cluster and state ladder follows the Kerala school kalolsavam tradition, so a coordinator can reuse the class-based structure at any level.
Where this event is run
A class-category school arts festival with grade points rather than placings is the format of the CBSE school cultural circuit in Kerala, where each cluster of schools holds its own kalotsav before sending winners to a state gathering. This template follows that state-level programme and suits any state, region or school group that wants one festival covering literary, art, music, dance, instrumental and group items for pupils from Class III to Class XII, with boys’ and girls’ entries and common items handled in a single structure.
- Kerala, India
Key facts
- 43 items in four class categories: Category I (Classes III-IV), II (V-VII), III (VIII-X) and IV (XI-XII); the 173 item entries grow from 22 in Category I to 59 in Category III
- Eleven group items run in every category, from the 5-minute Mime to the 20-minute One Act Play and Band Display; Oppana, Margam Kali and Thiruvathirakali are girls’ teams and Kolkkali and Duffmutt boys’ teams
- Grades not places: A (70% and above) earns 5 points, B (60-69%) 3 points and C (50-59%) 1 point; the template ships no placing ranks
- Boys and girls enter separately in many individual items from Category II; elocution and recitation run in separate languages
- Four age bands (8-9 to 16-17) are placeholders; the real gate is the class restriction on each category, and the event levels are School, cluster, Class and Division
- Criteria are carried for most items; Essay Writing, Mappilapattu, Mono Act, Ottanthullal and Patriotic Song ship without them, and every item is installed as /100 with fees at zero
- Age groups
- 4
- Competition items
- 43
- Competitions
- 173
- Grade bands
- 3
- Rank awards
- 0
Age groups
Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.
Category I
Candidates aged 8 to 9 compete in this group
Category II
Candidates aged 10 to 12 compete in this group
Category III
Candidates aged 13 to 15 compete in this group
Category IV
Candidates aged 16 to 17 compete in this group
Competition items
The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.
Pencil Drawing
Painting Crayon
Painting (Water Colour)
Painting (Oil Colour)
Cartoon
Recitation
Elocution
Essay Writing
Extempore
Story Writing
Versification
Digital Painting
Poster Designing
Collage
Power Point Presentation
Anchoring
Light Music
Folk Dance
Classical Music (Karnatic)
Bharatanatyam
Mohiniyattam
Kuchipudi
Mappilapattu
Mono Act
Show all 43 items
Mimicry
Ottanthullal
Group Dance
Mridangam (Eastern)
Tabla (Eastern)
Guitar (Western)
Flute
Violin (Eastern)
Group Song
Patriotic Song
Mime
One Act Play
Western Music Concert
Band Display
Oppana
Margam Kali
Thiruvathirakali
Duffmutt
Kolkkali
Competitions by group
The full schedule matrix, sectioned by age group then category — which item runs for whom, and for how long.
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category I | |||||
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Pencil Drawing | Individual | — | — | 100 | 60 min |
| Painting Crayon | Individual | — | — | 100 | 60 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Elocution | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Elocution | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Digital Painting | Individual | — | — | 100 | 30 min |
| Painting (Water Colour) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 60 min |
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light Music | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Group Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Patriotic Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mime | Team | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| One Act Play | Team | — | English | 100 | 20 min |
| Western Music Concert | Team | — | — | 100 | 15 min |
| Band Display | Team | — | — | 100 | 20 min |
| Thiruvathirakali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Oppana | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Margam Kali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kolkkali | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Duffmutt | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Category II | |||||
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Pencil Drawing | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Painting (Water Colour) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Cartoon | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Elocution | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Elocution | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Elocution | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Samskritham | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Arabic | 100 | 5 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Digital Painting | Individual | — | — | 100 | 30 min |
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light Music | Individual | Male | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Light Music | Individual | Female | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Classical Music (Karnatic) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Group Dance | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Bharatanatyam | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Bharatanatyam | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mohiniyattam | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mono Act | Individual | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Group Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Patriotic Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mime | Team | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| One Act Play | Team | — | English | 100 | 20 min |
| Western Music Concert | Team | — | — | 100 | 15 min |
| Band Display | Team | — | — | 100 | 20 min |
| Thiruvathirakali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Oppana | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Margam Kali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kolkkali | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Duffmutt | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Category III | |||||
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Pencil Drawing | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Painting (Oil Colour) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Painting (Water Colour) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Cartoon | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 60 min |
| Story Writing | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Story Writing | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 60 min |
| Story Writing | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Versification | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Versification | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 60 min |
| Versification | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Extempore | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Extempore | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Extempore | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Samskritham | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Arabic | 100 | 5 min |
| Anchoring | Individual | — | — | 100 | 7 min |
| Power Point Presentation | Team | — | — | 100 | 65 min |
| Poster Designing | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Collage | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Digital Painting | Individual | — | — | 100 | 30 min |
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light Music | Individual | Male | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Light Music | Individual | Female | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Classical Music (Karnatic) | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Classical Music (Karnatic) | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mappilapattu | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Mappilapattu | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Mono Act | Individual | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Bharatanatyam | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Bharatanatyam | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kuchipudi | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kuchipudi | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mohiniyattam | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Ottanthullal | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mimicry | Individual | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Group Dance | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mridangam (Eastern) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Tabla (Eastern) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Guitar (Western) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Flute | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Violin (Eastern) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Group Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Patriotic Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mime | Team | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| One Act Play | Team | — | English | 100 | 20 min |
| Western Music Concert | Team | — | — | 100 | 15 min |
| Band Display | Team | — | — | 100 | 20 min |
| Thiruvathirakali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Oppana | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Margam Kali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kolkkali | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Duffmutt | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Category IV | |||||
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Pencil Drawing | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Painting (Water Colour) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Painting (Oil Colour) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Cartoon | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Essay Writing | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 60 min |
| Story Writing | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Story Writing | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Story Writing | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 60 min |
| Versification | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 60 min |
| Versification | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 60 min |
| Versification | Individual | — | English | 100 | 60 min |
| Extempore | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Extempore | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Extempore | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | English | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Hindi | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Samskritham | 100 | 5 min |
| Recitation | Individual | — | Arabic | 100 | 5 min |
| Anchoring | Individual | — | — | 100 | 7 min |
| Power Point Presentation | Team | — | — | 100 | 65 min |
| Poster Designing | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Collage | Individual | — | — | 100 | 120 min |
| Digital Painting | Individual | — | — | 100 | 30 min |
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Classical Music (Karnatic) | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Classical Music (Karnatic) | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Light Music | Individual | Male | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Light Music | Individual | Female | Malayalam | 100 | 5 min |
| Mappilapattu | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Mappilapattu | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Bharatanatyam | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Bharatanatyam | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mohiniyattam | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Folk Dance | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Mono Act | Individual | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Mimicry | Individual | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| Flute | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mridangam (Eastern) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Tabla (Eastern) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Violin (Eastern) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Guitar (Western) | Individual | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kuchipudi | Individual | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kuchipudi | Individual | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Group Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Patriotic Song | Team | — | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Mime | Team | — | — | 100 | 5 min |
| One Act Play | Team | — | English | 100 | 20 min |
| Western Music Concert | Team | — | — | 100 | 15 min |
| Band Display | Team | — | — | 100 | 20 min |
| Thiruvathirakali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Oppana | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Margam Kali | Team | Female | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Kolkkali | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
| Duffmutt | Team | Male | — | 100 | 10 min |
Grades and ranks
How scores turn into grade bands, and how many points each placing is worth.
| Grade | For | Condition | Score | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Grade (70% and above) | Greater than or equal to | 70 | 5 | |
| B Grade (60% to 69%) | Greater than or equal to | 60 | 3 | |
| C Grade (50% to 59%) | Greater than or equal to | 50 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I change this template after installing it?
Yes — installing it creates a fully configured, live event, not a locked package. Every age group, competition item, rule and scoring setting can be edited afterwards to match exactly what your event actually needs.
Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?
No. Installing a template does the setup work for you; you only need to review the details (dates, unit or house names) and open registration.
Want the fuller picture first? See our guide to school arts fest software.
Install this template in eTalenter
Everything above is installed as a live, editable event in one step — age groups, items, rules and scoring. Start your own below.
Start a Kerala State CBSE Kalotsav event
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