MP govt to promote 'Gita Jayanti' like other festivals

Bhopal: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Madhya Pradesh government has decided to promote 'Gita Jayanti' like any other festival, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday.

The CM announced that large-scale events will be organised in collaboration with social and religious organisations across the state. "Gita Jayanti will be celebrated jointly by the government and society on the line of other festivals," Yadav said.

A direction in this regard was already issued and the cultural department was asked to make an action plan to celebrate Gita Mahotsav on Manas Jayanti in the state to spread Indian culture and philosophy among the common people in the state.

Earlier, Chief Minister Yadav had announced to develop places associated with Lord Krishna in the state as pilgrimage sites on the line of 'Ram Van Gaman Path'.

A direction was issued to conduct research to identify places where Lord Krishna visited in Madhya Pradesh. This action was part of the state government's plan to develop religious places in a bid to encourage religious tourism.

Subsequently, several places, including pilgrimage sites Narayana and Sandipani Ashram located in Ujjain, were identified. Two other sites were identified in Indore and Dhar districts where pilgrimage sites will be developed.

Importantly, these four pilgrimage sites (located within a radius of around 150 km) are part of the proposed Krishna Patheya religious circuit project of the current BJP regime in the state.

The project aims to connect all places related to Lord Krishna’s life across Madhya Pradesh through the Krishna Patheya religious tourism circuit, positioning central India as a major travel hub for Krishna devotees from around the world.

The proposed project is modelled after the Ram Van Gaman Path religious tourism circuit, which connects locations associated with the trinity of Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Sita during their exile in modern Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.