Gita Mahotsav
Hindu observance marking the composition of the Bhagavad Gita
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Through Mahabharata, Upanishads and President of India
Bhagavad Gita
Structure
The Bhagavad Gita is a prominent Hindu scripture which forms a part of the epic Mahabharata. The text itself is structurally divided into 18 chapters, containing 700 shlokas or couplets.
Content
The Bhagavad Gita is presented as a dialogue between Arjuna, a prince, and Krishna, the embodiment of God. The contents of the scripture are derived from the Upanishads and discuss different paths of jnana (knowledge), karma (action) and bhakti (devotion) and how they lead to moksha (ultimate liberation) of the soul. The dialogue takes place just before the start of the Kurukshetra War. After several attempts at reconciliation failed, war was inevitable. The day of the war finally came, and the armies faced off on the field of war. Just as the battle was about to start, Arjuna asked Krishna to drive the chariot to the middle of the battlefield, to look more closely at the opposing forces. Seeing that the opposing side consisted of his relatives, teachers and friends, Arjuna was left in a state of moral dilemma about fighting them and sought help from Krishna. The conversation that ensued, Krishna's advice, messages and teachings to Arjuna, is what is known now as the Bhagavad Gita.
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Gita Aarti
The Bhagavad Gita Aarti or Gita Aarti is a prayer not found in the Bhagavad Gita.
The aarti can be spoken, or sung with musical instruments to give more effect to worship. Aartis are usually performed at the end of the puja ritual. It is said that if there was any flaw in the puja, it may be fulfilled by the aarti.
The first verse of the hymn is as follows:
jaya bhagavad gīte
jaya bhagavad gīte
hari hiya kamala vihārini
sundara supuṇīte
jaya bhagavad gīte
— Verse 1
Celebration
During the International Gita Mahotsav, more than 300 national and international stalls are set up around the Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra city. Pilgrims also undertake the 48 Kos Parikrama of Kurukshetra.
2016
In 2016, the Government of Haryana organized the International Gita Mahotsav from 6 to 10 December. Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, was to inaugurate the Mahotsav; later it was done by Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana, and Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister.
2017
In 2017, the Gita Mahotsav was held on 25 November to 3 December, inaugurated by Ram Nath Kovind, President of India.
2019
The International Gita Mahotsav 2019 was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora on 23 November 2019 on the bank of the Brahma Sarovar water pool in Thanesar, Haryana..
2020
The Government of Haryana celebrated the International Gita Mahotsav from 17 December to 25 December 2020.
2021
Gita Jayanti 2021: Today on 14 December 2021, Gita Mahotsav was celebrated with great pomp. This celebration was being held in Kurukshetra from 2 December to 19 December 2021. International Gita Mahotsav is organized by Kurukshetra Development Board, Haryana Tourism, District Administration, North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala and Information and Public Relations Department Haryana.
2025
In June 2025, it was announced that the International Gita Mahotsav would be celebrated jointly by India and England, marking an expansion of the event’s international outreach and reinforcing its illustrative role in spiritual diplomacy.