Haryana International Gita Mahotsav 2026: Navy Air Force and ISRO to Debut at Kurukshetra Festival from December 5
Kurukshetra. The 11th International Gita Mahotsav will be held at Kurukshetra from December 5 to 25, with the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) taking part in the festival’s exhibitions for the first time. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will also participate in this year’s celebrations on the banks of Brahma Sarovar.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced the programme while chairing the 83rd meeting of the Governing Body of the Kurukshetra Development Board, along with Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh. The festival will open with the Saras and craft fairs on December 5 and conclude on December 25, while the main events, including cultural programmes, will be held from December 14 to 20.
The first-time participation of the armed forces and the space agency is the centrepiece of this year’s edition. Each of the organisations has sought 4,000 square feet of space to display its equipment, giving visitors a rare chance to see the work of the Navy, the Air Force and ISRO alongside the festival’s spiritual and cultural programmes. West Bengal and Delhi will join as partner states for the celebrations.
The run-up to the festival will itself cover the sacred geography of Kurukshetra. An awareness campaign will begin on December 2, covering 182 pilgrimage sites in the 48-kos region, followed by a procession from Pipli on December 4. Students of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country will also be connected with the celebrations, linking young Indians with the message of the Gita.
The programme blends devotion, learning and culture. Religious and spiritual events, Gita conferences and Bhagwat Katha will run through the festival, along with a crafts fair featuring renowned artisans from across the world and a Gita book fair. An exhibition marking 60 years of Haryana’s formation will also form part of the celebrations, tying the state’s foundation-day milestone to the festival. District-level celebrations will be held from December 18 to 20, with Gita recitations in village temples taking the festival beyond Kurukshetra city.
Governor Ghosh stressed the need to improve transport connectivity, bus services and access to festival venues for devotees and tourists, so that the large crowds expected over the three weeks can reach Brahma Sarovar and the surrounding holy sites with ease. With global artistes and scholars also set to attend, this year’s Mahotsav is being prepared as a wider national and global celebration of the Gita’s message from the land where it was spoken.
