Lakhs of devotees likely to turn up for mega Gita recital in Kolkata

Kolkata: Lakhs of devotees are likely to converge at Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Ground on Sunday for a mega Bhagavad Gita recital, which organisers claim will draw up to five lakh participants.

Senior BJP leaders and prominent religious figures of the state may also participate in the event.

Christened 'Panch Lakkho Konthe Gita Path' (Gita chanting by five lakh voices), the programme is being organised by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, a collective of monks and spiritual leaders drawn from various monasteries and Hindu religious institutions.

It is being projected as the largest collective recital of the Gita ever attempted in the state and possibly in the country.

Organisers said the programme seeks to invoke West Bengal's spiritual heritage and promote social harmony through scripture.

"In a climate of division, spiritual practice can restore calm and direction," said Swami Pradiptananda Maharaj, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, adding that thousands of Gita enthusiasts from across the state have already pledged participation.

Elaborate arrangements have been put in place for crowd regulation, security and emergency medical services amid expectations of an unprecedented turnout.

Three large stages have been erected at the sprawling venue, and security has been intensified across central Kolkata to manage what is expected to be one of the largest religious congregations in the state in recent years.

The event comes a day after the politically charged foundation-laying of a 'Babri Masjid-style' mosque in Murshidabad by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir, underlining how questions of faith and identity are rapidly converging in West Bengal's public space ahead of the assembly elections due early next year.

While the organisers have invited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor C V Ananda Bose, neither is expected to attend.

Sources in the Raj Bhavan said the governor is out of town, while there has been no official confirmation from the chief minister's office.

In contrast, the BJP's top brass in the state is likely to be present. Sources said former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, current state chief Samik Bhattacharya, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, among other senior leaders, will attend the programme.

The gathering comes exactly two years after a similar 'one lakh voices' Gita chanting event was held at Brigade in December 2023 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The event had triggered a political slugfest, with the ruling TMC accusing the BJP of using religion as a tool for polarisation.