With Gita Mahotsav on, Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra immersed in festivities

With the ongoing International Gita Mahotsav, the Brahma Sarovar, usually a quiet religious tourist destination where tourists and devotees reach throughout the year from across the country, has immersed in festivities.

The 21-day 10th edition of the International Gita Mahotsav-2025 (IGM-25) is being celebrated at the banks of Brahma Sarovar since November 15 and the holy site in Kurukshetra is hosting people from all over the world.

The IGM started with Saras and Craft fairs on November 15 and the excitement will be on till December 5. The eight-day main events including the cultural events started on November 24 and will conclude on December 1.

Folk artistes from 17 states and Union Territories including Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Ladakh, Gujarat, Manipur, Sikkim, Odisha and Meghalaya have been showcasing the cultural and folk art of their respective states and award-winning craftsmen have set up their stalls, exhibiting their art.

Besides the representatives of social, religious and government departments, traders and craftsmen have set up stalls at the banks of Brahma Sarovar.

The festival is getting bigger with each passing year. The President, Union Home Minister, Tourism Minister and several other Union Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers of various states along with other dignitarie have attended the festival over the years. This year, the Prime Minister will attend the Mahotsav.

The Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) started the Gita Mahotsav as a two-day Kurukshetra Mahotsav in 1989-90. Initially, only religious and cultural programmers were organised, but later, a wide range of social, cultural academic programmes were incorporated into the festival. In 2016, the state government decided to celebrate the festival of Gita Jayanti as International Gita Mahotsav. And now, it has turned into a full-fledged 21-day festival. Lakhs of people from various states and even abroad reach Kurukshetra to participate in the event.

Honorary Secretary of KDB Upender Singhal said, “Brahma Sarovar is one of the biggest ‘tirthas’ (holy place) under the KDB and this ‘tirtha’ is associated with Lord Brahma. Lakhs of tourists reach Brahma Sarovar. Bathing in this tank on solar eclipse is considered to be equivalent to the fruit of performing thousands of Ashvamedha yajnas. The state and central governments, along with the KDB, have been making efforts to develop Kurukshetra as an international tourist destination and promote Gita Mahotsav. Brahma Sarovar plays a crucial role in these efforts.”

“The prime objective of celebrating the IGM at such a grand scale is to promote the teachings of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita across the world, highlight India’s rich cultural and philosophical heritage and strengthen cultural bonds and foster mutual understanding,” he added.