Vrunda Vadyam is a team percussion ensemble item at the Kerala school kalolsavam, judged on its own verified five-criterion, 100-mark scheme — close kin to Panchavadyam, but a separate competition with its own time limit and one different criterion. This guide gives the exact scoring scheme, the category and time rules as published, a printable judgement sheet, and how to run it cleanly on eTalenter.
What is Vrunda Vadyam?
Vrunda Vadyam is a traditional percussion ensemble performed by a team of instrumentalists playing together, entered on the kalolsavam item list as a Team (group) item — a full ensemble registers as one entry, the same way a Group Song or Group Dance team does, not as several individual candidates scored separately.
It sits alongside the festival’s other percussion items but is a distinct competition from each of them: the solo items — Thabala, Mrudamgam/Ganchira/Ghada, Madhalam — are judged one performer at a time on individual technique, while Vrunda Vadyam and its close relative Panchavadyam are the ensemble versions, scored on how well the whole team plays together rather than on any one player’s solo skill.
Vrunda Vadyam judging criteria (verified, 100 marks)
The scheme below is cited directly from the festival’s own template data — nothing here is inferred or invented. It is five equal criteria, each worth 20 marks, for a 100-mark total:
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Blend of instruments | 20 |
| Tempo (Layam) | 20 |
| Rhythm (Thalam) | 20 |
| Handling the instruments | 20 |
| Tone (Nadam) | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
Four of the five criteria judge the ensemble as a whole — blend, tempo, rhythm and handling the instruments together — and only tone looks at the individual instrument’s sound. That weighting is exactly what you’d expect from a group item scored as one unit rather than as several solos averaged together.
Category, gender and time-limit rules
| Category | Participant type | Gender | Max time | Max score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category III (classes 8–10) | Team | Both (mixed teams allowed) | 10 min (9 min warning) | 100 |
| Category IV (classes 11–12) | Team | Both (mixed teams allowed) | 10 min (9 min warning) | 100 |
Vrunda Vadyam runs only at Category III and Category IV — it is not offered at the younger Category I or II levels on this item list, reflecting the ensemble skill it demands. Both categories share the same 10-minute ceiling with a warning at 9 minutes, and both allow mixed-gender teams.
Printable Vrunda Vadyam judgement sheet
Use this layout for a paper scoresheet, or let judges enter the same five fields directly on a phone or tablet in eTalenter:
| Team / Chest no. | Blend (20) | Tempo (20) | Rhythm (20) | Handling (20) | Tone (20) | Total (100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
How this differs from Panchavadyam and the solo percussion items
Vrunda Vadyam and Panchavadyam are easy to mix up since both are percussion ensembles on the same Category III/IV item list, so it’s worth being explicit: Panchavadyam is judged on Blend of instruments, Tempo (Layam), Coordination of instruments, Rhythm (Thalam) and Tone (Nadam), and runs to a 20-minute time limit (19-minute warning). Vrunda Vadyam swaps that fourth criterion for Handling the instruments and runs to a shorter 10-minute limit (9-minute warning). The two items also sit at different Order positions on the same item list, confirming they’re entered and scored as separate competitions, not variants of the same one.
Against the solo percussion items — Thabala, Mrudamgam/Ganchira/Ghada, Madhalam — the distinction is simpler: those are Individual items scored on personal technique (tone, fingering, improvisation, practice), while Vrunda Vadyam is scored on how well a whole team plays together.
Setting up Vrunda Vadyam on eTalenter
- Add Vrunda Vadyam as a Team competition item under Category III and Category IV, with a 10-minute time limit (9-minute warning) and 100 max marks.
- Build teams during registration — via Bulk Participant Management or the Public Registration Form — so each ensemble registers as one entry, not as several individual candidates.
- Load the five criteria (Blend, Tempo, Rhythm, Handling, Tone, 20 marks each) into the judging panel so judges enter marks against named criteria instead of a single blank total.
- Judges score from a phone or tablet during the performance; eTalenter tabulates the 100-mark total per team automatically and feeds it into the results and awards.
FAQ
What are the Vrunda Vadyam judging criteria?
Five criteria worth 20 marks each: Blend of instruments, Tempo (Layam), Rhythm (Thalam), Handling the instruments, and Tone (Nadam), for a 100-mark total.
Is Vrunda Vadyam an individual or team item?
Team. A full ensemble registers as one entry, the same way a Group Song or Group Dance team does.
What age categories can enter Vrunda Vadyam?
Category III (classes 8–10) and Category IV (classes 11–12) on this item list, with both genders eligible in the same team.
What’s the time limit?
10 minutes maximum, with a warning bell at 9 minutes, for both categories.
How is Vrunda Vadyam different from Panchavadyam?
Both are percussion ensemble items, but Panchavadyam is scored on Coordination of instruments instead of Handling the instruments, and runs to a 20-minute limit instead of 10. They are listed as separate competitions with their own Order positions, not variants of the same item.
Run Vrunda Vadyam judging on eTalenter
eTalenter handles team-item judging, chest numbers, live tabulation and certificates for Vrunda Vadyam and every other kalolsavam item. See how eTalenter runs a full kalolsavam, open a live demo and log in as a demo coordinator or judge — no sign-up — or message us on WhatsApp or support@etalenter.com for help setting up your event’s judging. We help with the software, not with entries. Related: Panchavadyam judging criteria and Instrumental music judging criteria.
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