Veena is a solo melodic-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 Veena?
Veena is an Individual, On Stage instrumental item, open to both genders, catalogued at Category III and Category IV (the Category IV entry is listed jointly as “Veena / Vichithraveena”). 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 — Violin (Paschathyam) 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 |
| Bowing | 20 |
| Plucking (Meettu) | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
How it differs from Violin (Paschathyam)
Readers searching for melodic-instrument judging criteria often land on a page built for a different instrument item, so it is worth being explicit: both Veena and Violin (Paschathyam) are catalogued in the same template with an identical even 20-mark, five-criterion, 100-total shape — tone (nadam), raga expression (ragabhavam) and rhythm (thalam) appear in both schemes. Veena’s remaining two heads are bowing and plucking (meettu), covering the specific left-hand and right-hand technique of the instrument; Violin’s equivalent heads cover the technique proper to that instrument instead. Because the shared three heads can make the two schemes look interchangeable at a glance, use the criteria page that matches the specific instrument item on your item list rather than reusing one for the other.
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 | Bowing /20 | Plucking /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 (as Veena / Vichithraveena) | 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 accompaniment declared at registration — publish these rules alongside the criteria before entries open so every unit knows the standard in advance.
Running Veena on eTalenter
Set Veena 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 Veena?
Five criteria worth 20 marks each: tone (nadam), raga expression (ragabhavam), rhythm (thalam), bowing and plucking (meettu), totalling 100.
Is it an individual or group item?
Individual — a solo performer, not a team.
Which categories compete in Veena?
Category III and Category IV, both open to boys and girls competing together. The Category IV entry is catalogued jointly as “Veena / Vichithraveena”.
What is the time limit?
10 minutes, with a warning bell at 9 minutes, in both categories.
How is Veena different from Violin (Paschathyam)?
Both are 20-mark, five-criterion schemes and share three heads — tone, raga expression and rhythm — but Veena’s remaining two heads are bowing and plucking (meettu), specific to that instrument’s technique, while Violin’s equivalent heads are specific to the violin. Use the criteria page that matches the specific instrument item on your item list.
Need help setting up Veena 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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