Lakhs participate in mega Gita recital in Kolkata

Kolkata: Amid Krishna name chants and blowing of conch shells, lakhs of devotees, including sadhus and sadhvis from across West Bengal and neighbouring states, took part in a mega Bhagavad Gita recital in Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Ground, organisers said.

The monks, clad in saffron robes, read shlokas from copies of the Gita in unison at the venue.

Senior BJP leaders, including West Bengal BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, ex-MP Locket Chatterjee and MLA Agnimitra Paul, and prominent religious figures, including Swami Pradiptananda Maharaj, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, and Dhirendra Shastri, took part in the event.

Christened 'Panch Lakkho Konthe Gita Path' (Gita chanting by five lakh voices), the programme is being organised by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, a collective of monks and spiritual leaders drawn from various monasteries and Hindu religious institutions.

The boisterous crowd, which included a large number of young men and women, chanted the name of Lord Krishna amid blowing of conch shells and ululations.

Governor C V Ananda Bose, who addressed the gathering, recited from the Bhagavad Gita and spoke of peace and non-violence.

Pradiptananda Maharaj asserted that the congregation of lakhs was spontaneous and did not have any role of any political party.

"Despite non-cooperation from a section of the administration, over five lakh people turned up spontaneously out of love and devotion to recite the Bhagavad Gita and for saving the Sanatan Hindu Dharma," Pradiptananda Maharaj said.

"In a climate of division, spiritual practice can restore calm and direction," he said.

Paul said, "The Gita is not for Hindus alone, it is for all 140 crore people of India." Organisers said the programme seeks to invoke West Bengal's spiritual heritage and promote social harmony through scripture. It is being projected as the largest collective recital of the Gita ever attempted in the state and possibly in the country.

Elaborate arrangements have been put in place for crowd regulation, security and emergency medical services as organisers have projected a participation of five lakh people.

Three large stages have been erected at the sprawling venue, and security has been intensified across central Kolkata.

The spiritual lead was taken by Swami Gyananandaji Maharaj of the Geeta Manishi Mahamandal.

The event took place a day after the politically charged foundation-laying of a 'Babri Masjid-style' mosque in Murshidabad by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir, underlining how questions of faith and identity are rapidly converging in West Bengal's public space ahead of the assembly elections due early next year.

The gathering comes exactly two years after a similar 'one lakh voices' Gita chanting event was held at Brigade in December 2023 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The event had triggered a political slugfest, with the ruling TMC accusing the BJP of using religion as a tool for polarisation.