Gita jayanti samaroh begins
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Dec 15 — The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, inaugurated the five day Kurukshetra Utsav Gita Jayanti samaroh by launching several social, cultural and religious programmes here today. This festival is being jointly organised by the Kurukshetra Development Board, district administration and other local voluntary organisations. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, presided over the function.

The Governor appreciated the efforts of the state government in developing the holy city of Kurukshetra as one of the most prominent religious and spiritual centres, not only of the country but also of the world.

The Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Kurukshetra Development Board, said the state-level development exhibition put up by all districts of the Haryana presented the vistas similar to that of the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi at the time of the Indian International Trade Fair.

He said the main objective of this festival was to disseminate the eternal measures of selfless action of the Gita.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Om Prakash Chautala Haryana Government would extend all help in the overall development of this holy city and to project the city as one of the most prominent spiritual and tourist centres on the international map.

Keeping in view the traffic congestion, the government has decided to widen the railway overbridge which is the major means for traffic to this city. This step will ease the congestion during festivals when lakh of pilgrims visit this holy place.

He said there were 365 religious places in an area of 48 kosas which needed to be developed. He said the Kurukshetra centre was the only place in the world where so many “tirth sthals ” were situated. It was the place where the battle of Mahabharata was waged.

Earlier, the Governor and the Chief Minister took a round of the exhibition put on the banks of Brahma Sarovar where 61 departments of Haryana and 19 districts displayed the development done in their respective area.

People could be seen enquiring the facilities given to them by agriculture, health, horticulture and Industry departments. The stall run by the Red Cross Society was another area where people were eager to know the facility being provided by the physiotherapy units in the state. People were also keen to see Mr Randhir Singh Sheokand’s stall where he had displayed his vegetables enlisted in the Limca Book of Records like the biggest yam, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, turnip and the longest colacasia.

As many as 46 persons donated blood at a blood donation camp organised at Gita Kendra.

Later, the CM and the Governor saw a cultural programme organised by the Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Department.

The Governor, also presented tricycles to two handicapped children — Balbir of Dhurala village and Jagindro Devi of Dayalpura village at a function organised to mark the eighty year of the Foster Parent Scheme initiated by Prerna, a local charitable organisation.

The Chief Minister honoured four children adopted under the scheme for their performance in the academic field. Sachin Kumar, who has been adopted by Mr Tarsem Lal, topped the list of successful students in his school in Class XI. The other students honoured were Avi Sharma, adopted by Ms Swati Gupta; Kirna, adopted by Mr Shyam Sunder Munjal; and Bimla Devi, adopted by Mr K.K. Chaudhary.