International Gita festival to be held in Kurukshetra from Dec 7-24 Haryana CM

Chandigarh, Dec 5 (PTI) The annual International Gita festival will be held in Kurukshetra from December 7 to 24 and Assam is the partner state this year, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Tuesday.
    Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the main programmes of the festival on December 17 with a Gita Yajna and worship at Brahma Sarovar on the same day, Khattar said.
    During a visit in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to recognise Kurukshetra as a significant centre for the teachings of the Gita. As part of the festival, the city will again witness the convergence of spirituality, culture, and art, the CM said.
    "Following the prime minister's guidance, the Haryana government has been organising the International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra since 2016, which has gained tremendous success and popularity over the past seven years," Khattar told reporters.
    On the lines of the Kumbh Mela, a dedicated fair authority will be established for the festival. This autonomous body will independently organise and manage the event.
    The government will appoint a fair officer to oversee the arrangements, while the fair authority will take charge of planning and running the festival.
    He said in 2019, the festival expanded its reach beyond the country, and it was celebrated in Mauritius and London. Additionally, outside the country, the festival was also celebrated in Canada in September 2022, and now there are plans to organise it in the US in April 2024.
    According to Khattar, the vice president will also inaugurate the three-day International Gita Seminar at Kurukshetra University. Scheduled to run till December 19, the seminar will witness the participation of scholars and researchers from India and abroad.
    Khattar said they will present their research papers on the theme of world peace and harmony, inspired by the teachings of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
    The chief minister expressed confidence that this seminar will play a pivotal role in spreading the significance of the Gita's message across the globe underlining that the holy book imparts guiding principles for life.
    On December 23, a Gita recitation will be led by 18,000 students in Kurukshetra, Khattar said as he asked people to recite Gita shlokas for a minute at 11 am on that day.
    The chief minister stated that the International Gita Mahotsav will kick off with a crafts and saras mela on the banks of the holy Brahmasarovar in Kurukshetra on December 7, which will showcase the talent of nationally renowned artists and craftsmen.
    "A dedicated Haryana Pavilion, featuring folk dance, crafts, small-scale industries, and local cuisine, will be established to acquaint tourists and pilgrims with the rich culture of Haryana," he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)