International Gita Mahotsav, Kurukshetra

Gita Jayanti itself is an old religious observance; the International Mahotsav built around it is a Haryana government production, scaled up considerably in the last decade.

It marks the day on which the Bhagavad Gita is believed to have been spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battlefield.

Deepotsav, with earthen lamps lit along the ghats of Brahma Sarovar and floated on the water on the main evening; a mass Gita recitation; a gathering of religious leaders; and a crafts and cultural programme across the days.

Lamp-lighting and floating on Brahma Sarovar, and mass recitation of the Gita.

The Gita is held to have been spoken on this ground, and reciting it here on the anniversary carries particular merit.

Kurukshetra has been identified with the Gita's setting for centuries; the state has built an eight-day festival around the anniversary.