Dr Amit Agrawal, Additional Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister and Director General, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department on Tuesday said that public participation is pivotal for making the ongoing International Gita Mahotsav a big hit.

Any festival can become successful only when public participation is ensured with great enthusiasm, he said during a meeting with Deputy Commissioners here through video conference.

During this, he reviewed the preparations for the International Gita Mahotsava programmes to be organized at the district level.

Dr Agrawal said that cooperation of religious and social institutions should also be taken in these programmes.  Besides this, all programmes during Gita Mahotsava should be organized according to the principle of public participation and the dignity of Holy Gita.

He said that 50 verses of Gita would be recited by 50 students each from 50 schools in all the districts.  More than one lakh students will recite Gita by joining online medium on December 14 during the Mahotsav.

He said that special programmes will be organized in the 48 Kos area in Kurukshetra, and 4 to 5 persons each from 164 pilgrimages under the 48 Kos area will participate in the '48 Kos Sammelan' programme to be organized at Kurukshetra University. In addition, 75 freedom fighters will be honoured under the 75th Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav at International Gita Mahotsava, Kurukshetra.

Deepotsav would be celebrated at 48 Kos pilgrimages on December 14 at 5.30 pm. Along with this, cultural programmes will also be organized at 75 pilgrimage sites falling under 48 Kos in Kurukshetra, he added.

Dr Agrawal further said that district level Gita Jayanti Mahotsav would be celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor in all the districts of the state from December 12 to 14, in which six programmes, Gita seminars, Gitahavan and Path, painting by school students and other educational competitions, exhibitions, Nagar Shobha Yatra, Cultural programmes based on Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata and the multi-faceted personality of Lord Shri Krishna will be organized.