Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 23
Chief Minister ML Khattar on Friday announced that the annual “International Gita Mahotsav” will be organised from December 7 to December 22 in Kurukshetra, and while Mauritius will be partner country, Gujarat will be partner state.
The Mahotsav will be kicked off with the inauguration of International Crafts and Saras Mela on December 7. This is for the first time that the mela, which has been part of the Mahotsav, has been upgraded to international scale.
Khattar said the state government will soon bring an ordinance to accord statutory status to the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) so as to enable it to work independently and make the Mahotsav a regular feature.
The state government organises the event in collaboration with the Kurukshetra Development Board.
BJP president Amit Shah will be the chief guest on December 13, which will mark the rolling out of the stretch of Mahotsav’s main event which will conclude on December 18. Former President Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will take part on the concluding day of the main event.
For the first time, Gita Mahotsav will be organised in Mauritus in February next year, Khattar said. In another first, the Mahotsav and an exhibition on “Srimad Bhagavad Gita” will be organised at Red Fort in the National Capital, Khattar added.
Besides the Art and Culture Minister of Mauritius’ Art and Culture, the event would be attended by diplomats of 15 different countries.
Khattar said that a committee headed by Swami Gyananand will be constituted which will oversee the conduct of the event.
The other first edition to the event will be a “Gita Sansad”, which will be orgainsed in more than 30 colleges of the state to discuss on the scripture.
“Ashtadashi Shaloki Gita” would be recited by 18,000 students simultaneously in Kurukshetra at 12 noon on December 18. The celebratory activities include organsing a “Sant Sammelan” on December 16 which will be attended by saints from country and abroad.
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