Patna: The Bihar Tourism Department has announced a video-making competition inviting influencers and content creators to document the cultural and religious traditions of the Shravani Mela, with prizes of up to Rs 3 lakh. According to the department, the initiative aims to expand the festival’s digital presence and encourage wider engagement with Bihar’s cultural heritage through social media.
The department said the competition, titled “Shravani Mela: Through the Eyes of an Influencer”, is open to eligible Indian content creators and will coincide with the Shravani Mela, scheduled to be held from July 30 to August 28, according to Tourism Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh.
What the Competition Is About
According to the Tourism Department, participants are required to create short videos or reels showcasing the Shravani Mela, particularly along the Kanwariya route passing through Munger, Banka and Bhagalpur.
Officials said the initiative is intended to highlight the festival’s religious, cultural and spiritual significance while encouraging digital creators to present Bihar’s heritage to wider audiences through their social media platforms.
Who Can Apply?
According to the department, applicants must:
- Be Indian citizens aged 18 or above.
- Have a combined following of at least 25,000 across Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
- Produce original video content related exclusively to the Shravani Mela.
- Submit videos between 30 seconds and two minutes in length.
The department said entries that are unrelated to the festival or fail to meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered.
Prize Money on Offer
According to the Tourism Department, the competition includes the following awards:
First prize: Rs 3 lakh
Second prize: Rs 2 lakh
Third prize: Rs 1 lakh
Two additional prizes of Rs 50,000 each
Five appreciation awards of Rs 25,000 each
Officials said the competition has been designed to encourage greater participation from digital creators during the festival.
How to Submit an Entry
The department said entries must be submitted through a Google Form, the link for which will be made available on the official Tourism Department website.
Participants will be required to provide personal details, including their name, address, date of birth, contact information and a valid identity document. Each submission must also include a brief description of up to 50 words in either Hindi or English.
According to the guidelines, videos must be uploaded in HD quality, have a file size between 100 MB and 1 GB, and include mandatory geotagging. The department said participants may also be asked to provide the original raw footage if required.
Timeline and Content Rules
According to the schedule released by the department, participants must first publish their videos on their own social media accounts after the first Somwari, which falls on August 3.
The same videos must then be submitted through the department’s portal within two days of the second Somwari (August 10), making August 13 the final submission deadline.
The Tourism Department said entries containing objectionable or controversial material, infringing third-party rights, or displaying logos, watermarks or other identifying marks will be rejected.
Officials also stated that the use of artificial intelligence to generate or produce videos is not permitted, and entries found to have used AI will be disqualified.
How Winners Will Be Chosen
According to the department, a panel of judges will evaluate all eligible entries before selected videos are published on the department’s official social media accounts.
Officials said the shortlisted videos will then be monitored for 45 days, with engagement indicators including reach, likes and shares forming part of the assessment. On X, retweets will be counted as shares.
The Tourism Department said further information about the competition is available through its official communication channels and encouraged eligible content creators to participate before the submission deadline.
