48 festivals a year, EV buses to ferry tourists mooted to celebrate Kurukshetra's history

Chandigarh, Jun 18 (PTI) Kurukshetra must be turned into a must-see site, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya said on Wednesday, and suggested celebrating 48 utsavas, or festivals, to that end, annually.

The governor was chairing the 82nd meeting of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB).

Dattatreya suggested that the festivals should be celebrated in villages within the 48 kos area of Kurukshetra (around 240 km of the perimeter).

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is the KDB vice chairman, said the government's objective is to transform Kurukshetra into a top destination for spiritual and cultural tourism.

According to an official statement, the discussion at the meeting was dominated by suggestions on how to improve sanitation, the upkeep and renovation of sarovars (ponds), transportation, and other infrastructure in the fairground.

Saini directed the officers to identify major intersections and entry gates to the city, which will be designed around a Mahabharata-inspired theme.

A replica of 'Sudarshan Chakra' on the road leading from Jyotisar in Kurukshetra will be redesigned, and an installation of a statue of Lord Shri Krishna, the statement said.

The naming of entry gates to Brahma Sarovar was also deliberated upon.

Discussions were held regarding city-wide mural art and inscriptions of Sanskrit shlokas on structures near the railway bridge.

The board members decided to introduce electric buses in the city, connecting important pilgrimage sites along the 48 Kos Parikrama circuit.

Commuters will be given a daily bus pass, which will also serve as an entry pass to attractions across Kurukshetra, the statement said.

An information centre each is to be set up by October 15 at Pipli Bus Stand, Kurukshetra Railway Station, Jyotisar Railway Station, and the Kurukshetra Development Board headquarters. PTI SUN VN VN