Sri Lanka hosts the largest-ever International Gita Mahotsav in Colombo (1-4 March, 2024)        

The 4-day International Gita Mahotsav held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 1 March 2024 to 4 March 2024 concluded today with a copy of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita being presented to the Honourable Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

This was the fifth edition of the International Gita Mahotsav organised for the first time in Sri Lanka by Kurukshetra Development Board of Government of Haryana (KDB), India, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the cultural arm of the High Commission of India in Colombo in collaboration with about 30 religious and social organisations in Sri Lanka.

Highlights of the gala event included a Sadhbhavna Yatra from Nelum Pokuna to Vihara Mahadevi Park of Colombo on 03 March 2024 with nearly a thousand artists displaying local performing arts along with floats by ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, Mayurapathy Sribhadrakali Temple. Honourable Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena of Sri Lanka and Ministers Hon. Bandula Gunawardena and Hon. Vidura Wickramanayaka witnessed the Yatra with High Commissioner Santosh Jha and the delegation from India.

The second day saw an International Discourse on Gita in additional to several seminars by experts on the theme of “Gita- An Epitome of Peace, Fraternity and Harmony”. The panel for the International Gita Discourse included remarks by Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Hon. Vidura Wickramanayake, High Commissioner Santosh Jha, Swami Gurusharanand Ji Maharaj, Gita Manishi Swami Gyanand ji Maharaj, Member Secretary KDB Sh. Vikas Gupta and Prof Asanga Tilakaratne. The universality and timelessness of Gita’s message was the common thread in these discussions.

The International Gita Mahotsav in Sri Lanka was the biggest international edition ever held.  The previous 4 editions were held in Australia (2023), Canada (2022), UK (2019) and Mauritius (2019). Within India, Kurukshetra Development Board has been organising Gita Mahotsav since 1989 in the city of Kurukshetra, the land where’Bhagwad Gita’ is believed to have been delivered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a part of the epic Mahabharat.