Kurukshetra: Gita Jayanti Mahotsav records huge weekend turnout at Brahma Sarovar

While the water of the Brahma Sarovar reflected the demure winter sun, the ghats exhibited a vibrant atmosphere filled with music and chanting

Thousands of visitors, including groups of schoolchildren, thronged the Brahma Sarovar on Saturday for the International Gita Jayanti Mahotsav, marking one of the highest footfalls of the festival this year.

Visitors queued up to view heritage models and documentaries that connected Haryana’s cultural roots with its developmental aspirations. (HT Photo for representation)

As families, students, devotees, and tourists poured in from across Haryana as well as neighbouring states, the weekend rush led to one of the highest counts of visitors since the three-week-long Mahotsav began on November 15.

While the water of the Brahma Sarovar reflected the demure winter sun, the ghats exhibited a vibrant atmosphere filled with music and chanting. For many schoolchildren participating in the cultural competitions, the event also offered an avenue for familiarisation with the religious text of the Bhagavad Gita.

Teachers accompanying the children shared that the Mahotsav has become an annual platform for “nurturing cultural pride and moral education”. “The Gita teaches duty, courage, and balance. For young minds, these values are essential and presenting them through art makes the learning unforgettable,” a school coordinator said.

Across Kurukshetra, multiple venues saw parallel activities — from classical dance performances to Vedic chanting sessions and handicraft exhibitions. The state-level exhibition set up by Haryana’s information, public relations and languages department also attracted large crowds.

The exhibition showcased high-tech installations, interactive digital exhibits, and thematic galleries depicting cultural, agricultural, and technological progress.

Visitors queued up to view heritage models and documentaries that connected Haryana’s cultural roots with its developmental aspirations. “For local vendors, artists, and cultural organisations, the Mahotsav is more than an event. It’s a celebration of identity. For students, it’s a classroom under the open sky. And for devotees, it is a spiritual homecoming,” officials said.