Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said ‘shlokas’ (verses) of holy book 'Bhagavad Gita' recited on the holy land of Kurukshetra have been showing the path of knowledge and eternal peace to humanity since ages.

He said more than 5,000 years ago, Lord Krishna gave sermons about the importance of 'Karma' in 'Bhagavad Gita'. “This holy book has also taught us the essence of living life with peace and harmony,” Khattar said.

He attended the 'Gita Vaishvik Path' programme organised in the International Gita Mahotsav 2022 on Sunday, under the aegis of Kurukshetra Development Board and Education Department, according to an official release.

On this occasion, 18,000 students from various schools of Kurukshetra recited 18 verses from 18 chapters of the holy book. More than 75,000 students of government and private schools across Haryana and people from different countries virtually joined the programme, the release said.

Extending warm wishes on Gita Jayanti and terming Kurukshetra as the origin place of 'Bhagavad Gita', Khattar said on this day, Lord Krishna gave the teachings of the holy book thousands of years ago there.

Earlier, this festival was celebrated only at the district level, but since 2016, this festival has been given the status of International Gita Mahotsav. In order to connect the young generation with the holy book, the government has started programmes like Gita Vaishvik Path recitation in the festival to inculcate moral values and education to the youths so that they can become responsible citizens of the country, the release said. Khattar said every verse recited in the 'Gita Vaishvik Path' programme spreads positivity.?

(With PTI Inputs)