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Pandemic reduces Gita Mahotsav into an online event
Unlike previous years when the celebrations used to carry on throughout the month, this year, the annual extravaganza has been limited to a week’s time and only few programmes, such as International Gita Webinar, online Gita Path, among others are being held.
The raging pandemic has reduced Haryana government’s International Gita Mahotsav to a mere online show this year.
Unlike previous years when the celebrations used to carry on throughout the month, this year, the annual extravaganza has been limited to a week’s time and only few programmes, such as International Gita Webinar, online Gita Path, among others are being held.
Every year lakhs of devotees converge on to the Brahma Sarovar, where several rituals, including lighting of diyas and chanting of mantras, are carried out during Gita Mahotsav; but this time, gatherings have been prohibited.
For the benefit of devotees, the Kurukshetra Development Board, which organises the event, has made arrangements for livestreaming of key ceremonies, but the response to this has so far been poor.
An official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We are livestreaming key events this year, but there don’t seem to be many takers. Only about 600 people watched the ceremony through our Facebook page on Tuesday. Our official YouTube channel has only 300 subscribers, of which only 15 people watched the evening Maha-aarti, said
Praveen Kumar, a Kurukshetra-based trader, said people are not interested in religious festivities. “The Saras craft mela is the actual crowd-puller of the event. As this is not being held, the response has remained dismal this time,” said Kumar.
Madan Mohan Chhabra, honorary member secretary of the Kurukshetra Development Board, said, “Yes all the programmes are being streamed online due to Covid19 restrictions.” Chhabra, however, skipped the question about the poor online response from people.
The Gita Mahotsav gained attention with the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state spending crores of rupees every year to promote the teachings of Bhagwad Gita worldwide. Programmes used to be organised in foreign countries, and dignitaries from various parts of the country and abroad used to visit the event.
