Three-week-long International Gita Festival to begin in Kurukshetra from Nov 15

Kurukshetra, Nov 14 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said the 10th International Gita Festival will begin here from Saturday and will continue till December 5.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Gita Mahotsav on November 25.

Addressing reporters here in the presence of Gita Manishi Swami Gyananand Maharaj, BJP state president Mohanlal Badoli, and Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, the chief minister said Gita Mahotsav celebrations have also been organised in countries such as Mauritius, Britain, Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka and Japan.

Since 2016, International Gita Mahotsav has been celebrated on a grand scale with the number of devotees from across India and abroad increasing each year and arrangements expanded accordingly, Saini said.

He claimed the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas were composed on the sacred banks of the Saraswati river. This land is also blessed as the birthplace of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, he said.

Saini stated the eternal wisdom delivered by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita completes 5,163 years this year.

Police sources said that with Haryana maintaining a high alert after the Delhi blast, security measures have been further strengthened for the Gita Festival.

Chief Minister Saini said this year, Madhya Pradesh will be the partner state in the International Gita Mahotsav. The inclusion of such a culturally rich state will further enhance the grandeur of the festival, he added.

Madhya Pradesh is setting up a cultural pavilion at Purushottampura Bagh near Brahma Sarovar, where stalls showcasing its culture, crafts and cuisine will be the centre of attraction, he said.

Saini also said that from November 24, a three-day International Gita Seminar will begin at Kurukshetra University. Gita scholars and researchers from India and abroad will present their research papers there online, he said.

This year, 25 scholars from 16 countries will participate in the seminar, the Haryana chief minister said, adding that Gita Mahotsav events will also be organised in 51 countries.

Twenty priests from Fiji and Trinidad and Tobago will visit Kurukshetra for two days to take part in various programmes. Additionally, 25 artisans from seven countries will exhibit their crafts during the festival, he said.

Saini said that on December 1, 'Deepotsav' celebrations will be held at all 182 pilgrimage sites in Kurukshetra. A Gita Shobha Yatra will also be taken out, with participation from various religious and social outfits.

From November 24 to December 1, grand cultural events will be held every evening at Purushottampura Bagh. These programmes will be based on themes from the Gita, Mahabharata and Lord Krishna.

From November 28 to 30, various competitions, such as Gita shloka recitation, speeches, essay writing, painting, rangoli, craft, will be organised for students at Sannihit Sarovar and Brahma Sarovar. A Gita Book Fair will be held from November 24 to December 1 at Brahma Sarovar, featuring major publishers from across the country. PTI COR SUN NSD NSD