Sadhguru, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ace Badminton Star Saina Nehwal to grace Grand Finale of Isha Gramotsavam 2025

•    The 2025 edition of Isha Gramotsavam took place across 183 locations in six states and one union territory, featuring 63,220 participants, including more than 12,000 women, forming 5,472 teams and representing more than 35,000 villages. The tournament now heads to its finale at Adiyogi, Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore.

•    Unique in its format, Isha Gramotsavam is not open for professionals, setting the stage for everyday rural folks- from daily wage earners, fishermen, and homemakers, among others- to break away from their daily grind and come enjoy the celebratory and unifying power of sports.

20 September 2025: Sadhguru, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, ace badminton player Saina Nehwal, chess Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu, and para-Olympian Bhavina Patel will grace the Grand Finale of the 17th edition of Isha Gramotsavam, Bharat’s largest rural sports festival. The Grand Finale will be held on 21 September 2025 at the iconic Adiyogi, Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, and will be live-streamed on Isha Foundation’s YouTube channel.

24 men’s volleyball and 18 women’s throwball teams from rural Bharat will clash in the semi-finals on September 19 and 20, before the ultimate showdown at the Grand Finale. In a true celebration of diversity in sports, the finale will feature a para-volleyball competition, bringing differently-abled athletes to the fore.

Launched by Sadhguru in 2004, Isha Gramotsavam is aimed at bringing the spirit of sports and playfulness into the lives of rural people. Unique in its format, Isha Gramotsavam is not open for professionals, setting the stage for everyday rural folks- from daily wage earners, fishermen, and homemakers, among others- to break away from their daily grind and come enjoy the celebratory and unifying power of sports.

Taking to social media X, Sadhguru expressed, “It is most heartening that 12,227 women are participating in this edition of #IshaGramotsavam. Many of them have not played a game since they were 8 or 10 years of age, some of them have never touched a ball in their lives until now. It is an absolute joy to watch their spirited and carefree involvement in the game.”

The 2025 edition unfolded on August 16 across six states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and, for the first time, Odisha, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry. Matches were hosted across 183 locations, featuring 63,220 participants, which included more than 12,000 women, forming 5,472 teams and representing more than 35,000 villages.

Matches progressed through three phases: cluster-level, divisional-level, and now the upcoming finale. Winners stand to gain from a prize pool of ₹67 lakh, with ₹5 lakh each will be awarded to the champions in both men’s and women’s categories. The three runners-up in each category will receive ₹3 lakh, ₹1 lakh, and ₹50,000, respectively.

In addition to sports, the festival will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of rural India. Two thousand women will perform Tamil Nadu’s traditional dance, Valli Kummi, while other performances include the folk dance Oyilattam and Therukoothu, a vibrant Tamil street theatre form. Kerala’s Panchari Melam and Chenda Melam, Telangana’s Kusadi dance, and Karnataka’s Puli Vesham will also add to the festivities. Visitors can further explore over 30 food stalls offering authentic South Indian cuisine.

A rangoli competition, open to the public, will also take place alongside the finale. The winner will receive ₹33,000 from Sadhguru, and all participants will be receiving a saree as a prize. Over 25 traditional games—such as Pallanguzhi, Mani Nadai, slippery pole climbing, and pot-breaking—will also be organised, with free entry for all.

Isha Outreach, which organises Isha Gramotsavam, has been recognised as a National Sports Promotion Organization (NSPO) by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. Sports celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Olympic medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Karnam Malleshwari have earlier participated as special guests in the finals of the sports festival. Neeraj Chopra, Mithali Raj, PV Sindhu, Shikhar Dhawan, and Javagal Srinath have voiced support for Isha Gramotsavam.