Singaporean Shweta Verma, a finance professional and cultural enthusiast, has won the First Prize in the Asia (excluding India) and Australia region at the prestigious Vishwa Hindi Geet Competition 2026.
Organised by the World Hindi Secretariat (WHS), Mauritius, the international competition was held to commemorate Vishwa Hindi Diwas (World Hindi Day) and to honour the global reach of the Hindi language.
The WHS, an international body jointly run by the Governments of India and Mauritius, coordinated the contest across five global regions – Africa and the Middle East, America, Asia and Australia, Europe, and India.
Participants submitted original Hindi Geet (song, lyrics, or melody) compositions, evaluated for creativity, literary merit, and thematic relevance. Ms Shweta’s entry, titled “Ja Re, Ud Ja Re Hindi – Tarang Panchhi”, stood out for its poetic depth and musical richness.
Written on the theme “Vishwa Bhasha Hindi” (Hindi as a World Language), Ms Shweta’s winning Geet presents Hindi as a symbolic bird – soaring across lands and cultures, connecting hearts through a shared linguistic and emotional thread.
“This honour holds deep personal significance,” Ms Shweta told tabla!. “It was a matter of great pride to participate in such a prestigious global platform. I am grateful to WHS Secretary-General Madhuri Ramdharee for her inspiring efforts in promoting Hindi worldwide and for giving me this opportunity.”
The lyrics were composed by Ms Shweta and set to music by noted North Indian classical musician Jaywardhan Dadhich. The song was beautifully rendered by her daughter Kashish Singhal, a classically trained vocalist and Kathak dancer whose expressive rendition added emotive power to the Geet.
The performance was featured as a recorded video during the WHS celebrations and was broadcast via the organisation’s official Facebook page.
According to the organisers, the jury appreciated the originality and imagery in Ms Shweta’s composition.
“The metaphor of the ‘Hindi-Tarang Panchhi’ beautifully captures the spirit of Hindi as a world language – combining tradition, emotion, and modern relevance,” noted a WHS spokesperson.
Ms Shweta’s affinity for Hindi Geet stems from a lifelong engagement with Indian literature. Originally from North India, she has lived in Singapore for the past 16 years, working as a senior compliance professional in the insurance sector.
“My love for Geet and poetry began with writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Premchand, Mahadevi Verma, Dinkar, and Sarat Chandra,” she said. “Over time, this translated into writing Geet for thematic events and cultural presentations.”
Among her earlier works is a verse tracing the life of legendary 16th-century Hindu mystic-poet Meera Bai, performed during a bhajan recital led by SIFAS Guru Shibani Roy.
She has also acted in Hindi plays such as Pancham Ved (presented by the National School of Drama and Singapore’s Ugna Natya Mandali) and Bhagwat Geeta, staged during Hindi Diwas 2025 by WHS in Mauritius.
This award marks her first formal recognition for Hindi writing, though she has long nurtured it as a personal and creative passion.
Outside of work, Ms Shweta is actively engaged in promoting Indian classical arts in Singapore. She has completed Level 6 in Kathak and continues her training alongside her daughter, Kashish. Together, they co-founded Bandish Beats Productions, a youth-led initiative to promote Indian classical music and dance in Singapore.
“Writing comes naturally when the theme resonates with me,” Ms Shweta explained. “I draw inspiration from nature, life experiences, and the richness of our cultural traditions.”
While she couldn’t attend the award ceremony in Mauritius due to professional commitments, Ms Shweta’s name and composition were prominently featured in the WHS’s live broadcast, which was shared with global audiences online.
santosh@sph.com.sg
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30 Dec 2025 16:33
