← Balotsav

Balotsav, an influential annual international children’s cultural festival for Telugu youth, is held during the second week of November typically spanning three to four days at the Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology (VVIT) in Guntur District, having moved there from Kothagudem in 2017. Over the years, the festival has grown substantially: by 2000, approximately 3,000 children from six districts participated; by 2014, participation surged to 15,000 students from multiple states; and in 2017, the event drew over 12,000 children. The 2019 edition marked another high point, with more than 7,000 students from 570 schools registering for diverse competitions. Earlier regional editions were similarly large one Amaravati Balotsav saw over 7,000 students from nearly 160 schools compete in 60 events across eight venues. Launched in 1991 with just 100 children, Balotsav has blossomed into a major cultural phenomenon this year featuring thousands of participants and offering a vast array of contest categories, from painting and elocution to drama, classical dance, and creative writing.