Nadaswaram is a solo melodic wind-instrument item at the Kerala school kalolsavam, judged on a verified five-criterion, 100-mark scheme of its own. This guide gives the exact criteria, a printable judgement sheet, the category and time rules as published, and how to run it fairly on eTalenter.
What is Nadaswaram?
Nadaswaram is an Individual, On Stage instrumental item, open to both genders, catalogued at Category III and Category IV. Every entry carries a 10-minute time limit (warning bell at 9 minutes) and a maximum score of 100. It sits alongside the festival’s other melodic-solo instrument items — Veena among them — but each is scored on its own dedicated criteria rather than one shared instrumental rubric.
The verified judging criteria (100 marks)
The scheme below is cited directly from the festival’s own template data — nothing here is inferred or invented:
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Tone (Nadam) | 20 |
| Raga expression (Ragabhavam) | 20 |
| Rhythm (Thalam) | 20 |
| Improvisation (Manodharmam) | 20 |
| Pitch and tempo (Sruthilayam) | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
How it differs from Veena and the other melodic-solo items
Readers searching for melodic-instrument judging criteria often land on a page built for a different instrument item, so it is worth being explicit: Nadaswaram shares three heads with Veena and Violin (Paschathyam) — tone (nadam), raga expression (ragabhavam) and rhythm (thalam) — but its remaining two heads are improvisation (manodharmam) and pitch-and-tempo (sruthilayam), not the bowing/plucking technique heads those two string instruments use. Improvisation is also a distinctly weighted skill on this page: a judge scoring Nadaswaram is explicitly rewarding spontaneous melodic variation within the raga, not just accurate reproduction of a set piece. Because the three shared heads can make these pages look interchangeable at a glance, use the criteria page that matches the specific instrument item on your item list rather than reusing one for another.
Printable judgement sheet
Hand judges a sheet with these five columns, chest number down the left, and a totals row:
| Chest No. | Tone /20 | Raga Expr. /20 | Rhythm /20 | Improv. /20 | Pitch/Tempo /20 | Total /100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Category, gender and time rules
| Category | Gender | Time limit | Max score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category III | Both (mixed) | 10 min (9 min warning) | 100 |
| Category IV | Both (mixed) | 10 min (9 min warning) | 100 |
Deductions typically apply for overrunning the 10-minute limit, an untuned or faulty instrument brought on stage, or arriving without any declared accompanist (thavil/percussion) at registration — publish these rules alongside the criteria before entries open so every unit knows the standard in advance.
Running Nadaswaram on eTalenter
Set Nadaswaram up as an Individual competition item under Category III and IV, Both-gender participation, a 10-minute time limit with a 9-minute warning, and the five-criterion, 100-mark scheme entered once in the judging panel. Judges score each of the five heads independently on their own device; eTalenter totals, ranks and publishes results the moment all judges submit, with the printable sheet above available as a backup for paper scoring. Open a live demo and log in as a judge to see the scoring screen, or as a coordinator to see how the item, categories and criteria are configured.
FAQ
What are the judging criteria for Nadaswaram?
Five criteria worth 20 marks each: tone (nadam), raga expression (ragabhavam), rhythm (thalam), improvisation (manodharmam) and pitch and tempo (sruthilayam), totalling 100.
Is it an individual or group item?
Individual — a solo performer, not a team.
Which categories compete in Nadaswaram?
Category III and Category IV, both open to boys and girls competing together.
What is the time limit?
10 minutes, with a warning bell at 9 minutes, in both categories.
How is Nadaswaram different from Veena?
Both are 20-mark, five-criterion schemes and share three heads — tone, raga expression and rhythm — but Nadaswaram’s remaining two heads are improvisation (manodharmam) and pitch-and-tempo (sruthilayam), rewarding spontaneous melodic variation, while Veena’s equivalent heads are bowing and plucking technique. Use the criteria page that matches the specific instrument item on your item list.
Need help setting up Nadaswaram or any other competition item on eTalenter? Message us on WhatsApp or email support@etalenter.com — we help with the software, not with entries.
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