Each week, a Rhyme will be released with its lyrics; participants must learn the rhyme and recite it & send the a/v to us (every week). Each Rhyme will have 10 points – 5 for recitation and 5 for pronunciation. Participant scoring maximum points out of 50 will be the winner.

A/V can be sent at admin@kashmirasitis.com or WhatsApp to +6591154112 with subject-line as ‘Rhyme Competition’

At the end of the 5 weeks; the chosen winner will be awarded with a gift hamper and all the participants will receive certificate of appreciation.
Special prize will be given to the participants of age below 5 years.

Note – Any kid in direct relation with organizers shall not be participating in the contest. They can, send their entries, however will not be entitled for awards.

Videos by contestants will be displayed only after 5th Nov (once the submissions are closed).

Judge1 – Smt Karuna Rainaji has been teaching Kashmiri Language in Allahabad Degree college since 1990 till she migrated to NZ in 2016. Her aim is to pass the Kashmiri Language and culture to not just her grand kids but also to extended community globally. and with that intent in 2019, she volunteered to teach Kashmiri via KashmirAsItIs.

Judge3 – Smt Dolly Tiku Arwal She is a working professional at JKPCC Ltd. A poet by heat. Writes Afsana, Ghazal, Bhajans in Kashmiri Language. She has written many research papers that are still be used in the Universities for Literature programs. Her famous research paper was on Lal Daed. She has also written bhajan CD on Bhagwan Gopinath ji that has been sung by Deepali Wattal

Judge 2 – Sh M.K. Rainaji – Rainaji is has been working on Kashmiri language since 1995. He started Project Zaan in Mumbai in collaboration with Lalla Ded Educational & Welfare Trust and Kashmiri Pandits’ Association in 1998-99. He has been conducting Kashmiri Learning classes since 1996 and has also started Kashmiri Vocabulary classes on internet from January 2019. He has co-authored the Basic Reader for Kashmiri Language and produced lessons on How to Read & Write Kashmiri in Devanagari Script and in Nastaliq Script. He has also authored tsók módúr, kénh nón kénh són and silsilûvàr kyah kyah vanû – Collection of Short Stories in Kashmiri. One more collection of his short stories in English is Pentachord. He has also written a collection of Poems pêvàn chhúm yàd. He has also authored A Dictionary of Peculiar & Uncommon Kashmiri Words & Phrases.

Judge 4 – Smt Shivani Bhan – I congratulate all the kids – for me all of you all the winners.
1st Oct – Week1, Rhyme 1 Ko’tiye Ga’cha’akh Giliye

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 1 – Aarna Raina 4yrs
Rhyme 1 – Contestant 2 – Kavya Razdan 7yrs
Rhyme 1 – Contestant 3 – Myra Raina 6yrs
Rhyme 1 – Contestant 4 – Laranya Raina (8years)
Rhyme 1 – Contestant 5 – Saanchi Raina (8years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 6 – Savit Kaul (3.5years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 7 – Saksham Misri (11years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 8 – Stakshi Misri (6years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 9 – Aania Kachroo (7years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 10 – Varenyam Kaul (5years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 11 – Ishika Trisal (9 years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 12 – Shreyen Pandita (4 years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 13 – Om Kaul (8 Years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 14 – Jalaj Gigoo (7 years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 15 – Zorin Kachroo (9years)

Rhyme 1 – Contestant 16 – Rumi Parimoo (3 years)
7th Oct – Week2, Rhyme 2 Bisht Bisht Bra’y’roo

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 1 – Savit Kaul (3.5years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 2 – Devyanshi Bhat (9years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 3 – Zorin Kachroo (9years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 4 – Vatsal Bhat (Dhruv) (6years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 5 – Stakshi Misri (6years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 6 – Saksham Misri (11years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 7 – Kavya Razdan (7years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 8 – Ishika Trisal (9years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 9 – Saanchi Raina (8years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 10 – Aarya Wali (4years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 11 – Myra Raina (9 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 12 – Aarna Raina (4 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 13 – Varenyam Koul (5 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 14 – Laranya Raina (8 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 15 – Shreyen Pandita (4 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 16 – Jalaj Gigoo (7 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 17 – Sumer Raina (6 years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 18 – Aania Kachroo (7years)

Rhyme 2 – Contestant 19 – Om Koul (8years)
14th Oct – Week3, Rhyme 3 Hukus Bukus

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 1 – Laranya Raina (8 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 2 – Varenyam Koul (5 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 3 – Myra Raina (9 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 4 – Aarna Raina (4 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 5 – Vatsal Bhat (Dhruv) (6 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 6 – Savit Kaul (3.5 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 7 – Devyanshi Bhat (9years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 8 – Kavya Razdan (7years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 9 – Saksham Misri (11 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 10 – Stakshi Misri (6 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 11 – Ishika Trisal (9 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 12 – Shreyen Pandita (4 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 13 – Om Kaul (8 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 14 – Jalaj Gigoo (7 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 15 – Zorin Kachroo (9years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 16 – Aania Kachroo (7years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 17 -Ridhi Raina (3 years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 18 – Lakshya Raina (5.5years)

Rhyme 3 – Contestant 19 – Saanchi Raina (8years)

21st Oct – Week4, Rhyme 4 Gash Broor Aav

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 1 – Vatsal Bhat (Dhruv) (7 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 2 – Devyanshi Bhat (Dhruv) (9 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 3 – Savit Kaul (3.5 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 4 – Myra Raina (9 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 5 – Aarna Raina (4 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 6 – Ishika Trisal (9 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 7 – Saksham Misri (11 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 8 – Stakshi Misri (6 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 9 – Shreyen Pandita (4 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 10 – Varenyam Koul (5 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 11 – Laranya Raina (8 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 12 – Kavya Razdan (7years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 13 – Jalaj Gigoo (7 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 14 – Om Kaul (8 years)

Rhyme 4 – Contestant 14 – Saanchi Raina (8years)

28th Oct – Week5, Rhyme 5 Zoon Maej Zooni

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 1 – Savit Kaul (3.5 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 2 – Ishika Trisal (9 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 3 – Shreyan Pandita (4 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 4 – Aarna Raina (4 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 5 – Myra Raina (9 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 6 – Laranya Raina (8 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 7 – Stakshi Misri (6 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 8 – Saksham Misri (11 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 9 – Varenyam Koul (5 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 10 – Devyanshi Bhat (9 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 11 – Jalaj Gigoo (7 years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 12 – Zorin Kachroo (9years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 13 – Aania Kachroo (7years)

Rhyme 5 – Contestant 14 – Kavya Razdan (7years)

Rhyme5 – Contestant 15 – Saanchi Raina (8years)
Rhyme5 – Contestant 16 – Om Kaul (8years)

Congratulations to all the kids & Thankyou to the organizers and Judges for this platform.  Promoting kasher zabaan in this way is a wonderful thing which else could be a thing of the past if we all don’t do something about it. Let’s encourage kids to speak in Kashmiri at home – Pankaj Razdan

I thank the KashmirAsItIs team for thinking about Kashmiri poem recitation contest by kids. I thoroughly enjoyed this activity with my little one by making him learn to recite “Akus Bakus Tael Wan Chu Kus”. I also appreciate the kind of information available in KashmirAsItIs App. Many thanks for this initiative to keep our culture alive. – Shally Saraf

I would like to thank you all for your efforts & hard work to ensure our new generations gets connected to our roots. – Amit Raina

There is a saying – ‘Language is culture and culture is language’, and thus its extremely important that we keep talking to our kids in Kashmiri. One of the ways to generate more interest about Kashmiri language among kids is to recite Kashmiri rhymes with them. The Rhyme contest organised by ‘Kashmir as it is’ provided this opportunity to us. I personally enjoyed every bit of it, reciting Kashmiri rhymes with Varenyam. His grandparents (both paternal and maternal) were happily surprised to see him reciting Kashmiri rhymes.Honestly, I personally dint know all these rhymes and I asked my parents about a couple of these five rhymes. Overall not only Varenyam but we all as a family enjoyed this contest. Thank you organisers for this and I hope we see much more initiatives like this. I without doubt can commit our participation. – Sanjay Koul

You all are doing a fantastic job to keep our culture alive. God bless you all.  – Surender K Tikoo

I thank the KashmirAsItIs team for thinking about Kashmiri poem recitation contest by kids. I thoroughly enjoyed this activity with my little one by making him learn to recite “Akus Bakus Tael Wan Chu Kus”. I also appreciate the kind of information available in KashmirAsItIs App. Many thanks for this initiative to keep our culture alive. – Shally Saraf

I am very thankful to the kashmirasitis intiative and teams efforts.This not only helped my child to learn new rhymes but also she enjoys them.  – Sumita Raina

The experience was wonderful. Wish we had known about it in October itself. We don’t speak kashmiri at home, so most of the lyrics in the rhymes went above my head 🙂

Om memorized all the 5 rhymes by rote quickly in 2 days though, so that was a relief. So maybe you would like to spread more awareness and it would help add numbers to the group as well. I have already done it at my end! 🙂

I also feel while having a contest is nice, but that is assuming the elders at home know the language fluently. So before the contest, if someone could explain the meaning or help construct sentences related to whatever contest happens, will be great. Thanks for all the efforts you put in. The child in the sample rhymes is very cute. And it was good to have the adult voice with exact pronunciation of the lyrics. Please try to add sub-titles too for those like us. Overall amazing job done. Thanks again.  – Teevrta Koul

Congratulations to all the kids & Thankyou to the organizers and Judges for this platform.  Promoting kasher zabaan in this way is a wonderful thing which else could be a thing of the past if we all don’t do something about it. Let’s encourage kids to speak in Kashmiri at home. – Pankaj Razdan

Dear Zitin, Really. Such a nice beginning to encourage Kashmiri speaking at home.

I have a wondering. When someone says,”we should speak in Kashmiri to our kids”, I appreciate that but also what is important is that we encourage our children to answer back in Kashmiri. What happens most often is that only we end up using the language. Kids understand but ask them to speak, they can’t.

I am a parent of two, 17 and 13 year olds. We have been moving around the world since my first child was 8 months old. We very soon realised that as we keep moving to different countries with different languages, there can be only one constant; it is our Kashmiri culture and our Kashmiri language. So we would speak and listen to only one language among ourselves when at home.

Children spend most of the day at school and tend to bring home the spoken language at school. So I would give them a transition period of one hour or so and after that I would not allow them to talk in any other language. With the result

They can communicate fluently in Kashmiri language. My parents and other older relatives love to have conversation with them. Dil khulith chae saeree bolaan.

The whole idea of writing this is to pass on the message that it is more important that we make our kids reply back in Kashmiri. Don’t reply if they talk in any other language. That’s what we would do.

I thought it would be just another step forward.

Thanks

Mrinali Safaya

Mubarak to all kids who participated . Revival of our language and culture is a must to see us survive as kashmiri pandit community in the times to come. Gratitude to KAII & Project Zaan to organize the competition. My kids are charged up to participate in the next contest – Kapil Bhat

Nicely, congratulations to Project Zaan and KAII who organised this whole thing and gave kids platform to show their love for Kashmiri language and rhymes. – Deepak Dhar

Thankyou for the initiative and the team behind it who work endlessly giving their time, effort and worthy guidance.. – Sumita Ambardar

Such a wonderful motivation for our young ones to remain connected with their mother tongue. You deserve a huge round of applause for this initiative. Well done ‘Kashmirasitis’ and Project Zaan. – Neelam Razdan Wali

God bless all the kid . It was so wonderful to watch them on you tube . Lovely kids – Parul Razdan

What a contest… We are on our way to revive our heritage.. Your work goes down in kashmir history as the path breaking one.. – Rajeev Raina

मुबारक नविन त‌अ् फोलिन स‌अ्री तोहि सान ! – Ajoy Naqib