PM Modi to Attend 350th Shahidi Diwas of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and Inaugurate Extended International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra

21-Day Global Festival from Nov 15-Dec 5; Madhya Pradesh Named Partner State; Celebrations to Reach 51 Countries and All Haryana Districts

By NewsArc Bureau

Chandigarh, November 3, 2025

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the state-level programme in Kurukshetra on November 25 to commemorate the 350th Shahidi Diwas of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, revered as Hind Ki Chadar. The Prime Minister will also participate in the 10th edition of the International Gita Mahotsav, which for the first time will span 21 days from November 15 to December 5 in Dharmakshetra–Kurukshetra.

Addressing a press conference, CM Saini described the festival as a unique confluence of culture, knowledge, and spirituality. The event will encompass the historic 48-kos radius of Kurukshetra, home to 182 identified pilgrimage sites under the Kurukshetra Development Board. The Mahotsav will be formally inaugurated on November 24 with a Gita Yagna and worship ceremony at Brahma Sarovar, alongside the launch of a three-day International Gita Seminar at Kurukshetra University featuring 25 scholars from 16 countries, supported by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Madhya Pradesh has been designated as the partner state for this year’s festival, adding significant cultural depth with a dedicated pavilion at Purushottam Pura Bagh near Brahma Sarovar. The state’s rich religious heritage will be showcased through immersive displays of its diverse traditions.

The festival will feature an array of spiritual and cultural programmes. From November 26 to 30, Padma Vibhushan awardee Rambhadracharya will conduct a Gita Katha under the aegis of Jeeyo Geeta at Purushottampura Bagh. A Sant Sammelan on November 29 will bring together renowned saints from across the country to discuss the Gita’s teachings, while the All India Devasthanam Conference on November 30 will convene heads of religious institutions at Kurukshetra University’s Senate Hall.

A grand Gita Maha Aarti will be performed daily on the banks of Brahma Sarovar throughout the festival. On December 1, a global recitation of the Gita will be led by 18,000 students at the Theme Park in Kurukshetra, with millions joining online from India and abroad. The same day will witness a Gita Yagya, Path, and Bhagwat Katha at Jyotisar Tirtha, followed by a simultaneous Deepotsav at all 182 pilgrimage sites across the 48-kos region, accompanied by a Gita Shobha Yatra.

From November 28, International Gita Mahotsav celebrations will commence at all district headquarters in Haryana. Each district will host a Gita Shobha Yatra on December 1, with 1,800 students participating in the global recitation. Village panchayats will also organize evening Deepotsav at local pilgrimage sites.

The Haryana Information and Public Relations Department will launch a dedicated YouTube channel to engage devotees worldwide. Participants are invited to share video reflections on their favourite Gita verse and its impact on their lives, with the most-viewed entry receiving a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh during the closing ceremony.

Through the Ministry of External Affairs, Gita Mahotsav programmes will be organized in 51 countries and broadcast live. Twenty Pandits from Fiji and Trinidad and Tobago will visit Kurukshetra for two days to join the festivities. The festival has previously been celebrated in Mauritius, the UK, Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, reflecting its growing global resonance.

Gita scholar Swami Gyananand Maharaj lauded the Haryana Government’s efforts, stating that Kurukshetra has emerged as a year-round global centre of devotion. He highlighted the increasing influx of pilgrims and the city’s regular hosting of spiritual discourses and seminars. The recent honour bestowed upon the Gita in Bali and the Bali Governor’s proposal for an Indian Cultural Centre further underscore the festival’s international influence.

The press conference was attended by Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Rajesh Khullar, Commissioner and Secretary of the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department Dr. Amit Kumar Agrawal, Director General K. Makarand Pandurang, Media Secretary Praveen Attrey, and officials from the Kurukshetra Development Board.