Gita Jayanti | International Gita Mahotsav | Bhagavad Gita Birthday
Gita Jayanti or ‘Gita Mahotsav‘ (Gita Festival), is also known as Mokshada Ekadashi. The day is honoured as the birthday of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Bhagwat Gita is a compilation of the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra during the Mahabharata war in Dwapar-Yuga. Geeta Jayanti Festival is celebrated on the Margashirsha-Shukla-Ekadashi of the Hindu timetable. This occasion usually falls in the month of December.
Gita Jayanti Tithi at Iskcon | Celebration Date in 2024 –
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Table of Content
- Celebrations on Gita Jayanti
- History behind the Bhagavad Gita Jayanti
- Purpose to celebrate Geeta Jayanti Festival
- Rituals on Gita Jayanti
- Bhagavad Gita : Chapters and Content
Celebrations on Gita Jayanti Mahotsav
Gita Jayanti is considered to be the day of revelation of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. 5000 times agone on this day, Lord Krishna sermonized the Gita to Arjuna on the battleground of Kurukshetra. Geeta Jayanti is celebrated every year to commemorate this historic event. The ‘International Gita Mahotsav‘ held at Kurukshetra in the Indian state of Haryana is celebrated every year with great pomp and devotion. Krishna lovers, pilgrims and culture suckers from all over the world gather at Kurukshetra in Haryana during Gita Jayanti fests. The pilgrims feel satiated by bathing in the holy waters of the sacred lakes – ‘Sannihit Sarovar’ and ‘Brahma Sarovar’. The International Gita Mahotsav Festival was first organized in 1989. It was declared a National Festival in 2002 and given the status of an International Festival in 2016. Therefore, in 2016 the Haryana government decided to celebrate Gita Jayanti as ‘International Gita Festival’. More than two million tourists visited Kurukshetra on this day, which was the largest number recorded in the history of Geeta Jayanti celebrations in the region. Therefore, the Haryana Government declared it as an annual festival. It is organised by Kurukshetra Development Board and Haryana Tourism with the main aim to promote the teachings of Bhagavad Gita among mankind. The festival includes the following programs :- Gita reading & chanting by students
- Gita Yajna and Gita Pujan
- Bhajan Sandhya and Maha Aarti
- Cultural Evenings – Dance, Dramas
- Deepotsav – Gita Maha Aarti and Deep Daan
- Sant Samagam – Discussions and seminars by scholars and Hindu priests congregation
- Stage plays and Gita chanting competitions for children
- Exhibition organised by Haryana Government
- Distribution of books, leaflets, and pamphlets related to the Srimad Bhagavad Gita
History Behind the Bhagavad Gita Jayanti Samaroh
Just before the Mahabharata war began on the battleground of Kurukshetra, Arjuna asked his charioteer Lord Krishna to take the chariot to the center of the battleground so that he could keep an eye on the opposing army. Arjuna was distraught to see his own relatives, friends, and gurus on the opposing side. And with a sad heart, he asked Krishna not to fight. Seeing this, Krishna suggested the path of Kshatriya Dharma to Arjun and explained the difference between right and wrong. During this conversation Arjuna asked questions related to knowledge, devotion, dharma, karma, and human duties etc. And Krishna answered every question of Arjun one by one. The collection of conversations between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the middle of the battleground is known as ‘Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita’.Purpose to Celebrate Gita Jayanti Festival
The main purpose of celebrating Gita Jayanti is to keep people connected to Srimad Bhagwat Geeta, so that they can find solutions to their daily problems at their own level. The messages of Bhagavad Gita are useful for every person who is stuck in any kind of confusing situation. The teachings of Bhagawat Geeta given for the welfare of the entire human race are equally meaningful and effective even today. The teachings of Gita are free from all types of human bondages such as – time, region, caste, religion, language etc.Rituals of Geeta Jayanti
- Gita Jayanti is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy in the temples related to Lord Krishna. Special prayers and worship are also performed in Krishna temples all over the world.
- On this special occasion, a large number of Krishna devotees from all over the world come to Kurukshetra in India and take bath in holy pools like Brahma-Sarovar. Devotees who cannot go to Kurukshetra worship and perform aarti of Lord Krishna after taking a holy bath at their home.
- Since this festival is celebrated on Ekadashi, devotees observing fast on this day should not eat grains like rice, wheat or barley.
About Bhagavad Geeta : Chapters and Content
The holy Bhagavad Gita is a collection of teachings, advice and spiritual wisdom given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. It is a part of the epic Mahabharata, a major Hindu religious text. According to mythological belief, Maharishi Veda Vyas is the author of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. It has a total of 18 chapters, which have 700 verses or couplets. Chapter The substance of all four Vedas and Upanishads is contained in the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna preached about the various paths of knowledge, karma and devotion through the Gita, for the welfare of the entire human society. The divine knowledge of Gita can liberate the soul from the cycle of repeated life.Gita Jayanti Tithi at Iskcon | Celebration Date in 2024 –
- Festival Date – December 11, 2024
- Timings of Gita Jayanti Tithi
- Ekadashi Tithi Starts : 03:42 AM on December 11, 2024
- Ekadashi Tithi Ends : 01:09 AM on December 12, 2024
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