Kurukshetra Festival, aka Gita Jayanti Samaroh, is celebrated at the holy place of Kurukshetra in Haryana. According to the Hindu epic text Mahabharata, Kurukshetra was the place where the great battle of Mahabharat was held. The battle was fought between two cousin clans - Pandavas and Kauravas.
This is also where Lord Krishna (Lord Vishnu's incarnation) gave Gita Updesh to Arjuna (one of the five Pandavas) before beginning the battle. The Updesh was given on the 11th day of Shukla Paksha which is a waxing phase of the moon. According to the Lunar Calendar, it is during the Margashirsha month.
Every year, the Kurukshetra Festival is organized in either November or December. The Kurukshetra Festival is celebrated to commemorate the origin of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Now, the holy book is pursued and followed to solve daily problems in the life of human beings.
Major Attractions of Kurukshetra Festival 2024 ( Geeta Jayanti Mela )
This Haryana festival is marked by the pilgrims taking a dip in the sacred waters of Brahma Sarovar and Sannehit Sarovar followed by reciting stories from the holy book of Hindus along with religious shlokas. Further, the devotees get involved in Deep Daan which is followed by delightful dance and drama performances.
First Day - The first day of the celebration starts with several holy activities such as the inauguration of Gita Jayanti Mahotsav, International Gita Samaroh 2024, Maha Aarti, Light & Sound Show, and cultural performances.
Second Day - The second day is observed with great enthusiasm and devotion towards Lord Krishna. There are several activities that are performed such as drama on epic Mahabharata. Several classical dancers and actors attend the Kurukshetra Festival and give their cult performances on the subject of Bhagavad Gita. Apart from this, the International Gita Seminar is organized to teach people important sayings of Lord Krishna that he taught on the battlefield of Mahabharata.
Third-Day - The third day of the Kurukshetra Festival starts in the same spirit by Hindu devotees. The day witnesses the same earlier activities and performances. On this day, students of Kurukshetra University perform on the various events of Mahabharata. The third day is also the last day of the International Gita Seminar where the knowledgeable Pundits wrap up the preachings of Bhagavad Gita.
Fourth Day - The fourth day commences with a cultural extravaganza that includes the classic dance and singing performances by international cultural troops. Apart from this, there are also several organizations of Sant Sammelan. The day ends with Maha Aarti (ritual with singing traditional Sanskrit Shlokas).
Fifth Day - The day witnesses several cultural extravaganzas. The day starts with the complete recitation of Srimad Bhagavad Gita by Hindu Devotees and then is followed by cultural performances like dance, drama, and folk singing by the Department of Art & Cultural Affairs of Haryana. Here, one can also enjoy the performances of international troops.
Sixth Day - The 6th and the last day of the Kurukshetra Festival witness extreme enthusiasm amongst the Hindu devotees. The Gita Yajna is performed with the recitation of Shlokas from Bhagavad Gita. At last, the Gita Shobha Yatra is organized to preach the Bhagavad Gita to locals as well as tourists.
How to Reach Kurukshetra for Gita Jayanti Samaroh 2024 Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is the place to be if you are looking forward to attending the Kurukshetra Festival. It is known for its great cultural aspect and is located at a distance of 40, 2,125, 1,379, 1,522 km from Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata respectively. Here is all the traveling information you need.
By Air
Kurukshetra does not have its own airport. But there are other airports which one can opt for commuting. Chandigarh Airport is the nearest airport which is just 83 kilometers away from Kurukshetra. Once you reach the airport, you can easily take local commuting options like a taxi or a bus to reach Kurukshetra. The airport is well-connected with other neighboring cities in India and overseas. Many airlines operate to and from this airport like Go Air, AirAsia, Air India, Vistara, and many others. Here is flight information from major cities.
- Delhi - Board Air India, Vistara, Go Air from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.2,500
- Jaipur - Board Air India, IndiGo flights from Jaipur Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.4,500
- Lucknow - IndiGo, Air India, Vistara from Lucknow Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.4,000
- Patna - Board Go Air, Air India, Vistara from Patna Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.5,000
- Amritsar - Board Air India, Vistara, IndiGo from Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport The airfares are starting from Rs.4,000
By Train
Chandigarh Railway Station is your closest option to reach Kurukshetra. This station is located at a distance of about 7-8 km. This train station is strongly connected with other close Indian cities. Situated at an altitude of 330 meters, the Chandigarh Railway Station is counted in the list of top 100 booking stations of Indian Railways.
The railway station is fully equipped with modern facilities, such as fully computerized reservation options, reception centers for tourists, and telephone booths. Here is the train route to reach here from various nearby places.
- Delhi - Board Kalka Shatabdi Express from New Delhi Railway Station and deboard at the Chandigarh Railway Station
- Ludhiana - Board Intercity-Express from Ludhiana Junction and deboard at the Chandigarh Junction
- Lucknow - Board LKO CDG Express from Lucknow NR junction and deboard at the Chandigarh Junction
- Agra - Board Unchahar Express from Tundla Junction and deboard at the Chandigarh Junction
- Jaipur - Board JP CDG Intercity from Jaipur Junction and deboard at the Chandigarh Junction
By Road
Kurukshetra is very well connected to nearby cities via well-maintained road networks. As per your need, you can also opt for regular, luxury, or sleeper buses. You can also consider traveling here by interstate bus.
- From Delhi, it would cost you about Rs.300.
- From Agra, it would approximately cost you Rs.350.
- From Patiala, it would cost you about Rs.1,000.
Here is the road route information.
- Delhi - 43 km via NH48
- Noida - 54 km via NH48
- Jodhpur - 562 km via NH48
- Agra - 236 km via Taj Express Highway/Yamuna Expy
- Gwalior - 369 km via Taj Express Highway
- Jaipur - 234 km via NH48
- Udaipur - 623 km via NH48
