School children in Haryana to recite Gita ‘shlokas’ from next academic session: CM

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said from the next academic session, students will be taught to recite 'shlokas' of the Bhagavad Gita in schools across the state. The chief minister made this announcement at the ongoing international Gita Mahotsava in Kurukshetra, an official statement said here. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present on the occasion.

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Addressing a seminar organised at the Gita Gyan Sansthanam and Kurukshetra University as part of the international Gita festival, Khattar said books related to Gita will become a part of the curriculum for classes 5 and 7. The chief minister said the youth should imbibe the essence of Gita in their lives as the message of the holy book was given not for only Arjuna but for all of us.

Khattar said in order to enhance the scale of annual international Gita Mahotsav, a Gita Jayanti committee would be constituted from next year. He said a Mahabharata-themed museum is being constructed at 'Geetasthali' in Jyotisar on two acres of land at a cost of Rs 205 crore.

In this building, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, the mythical Saraswati river and Vedic civilisation will be depicted through multimedia systems, he said.

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He said on the lines of Ram Lila, Krishna Utsav would also be organised during the international Gita Mahotsava from next year. In this festival, which lasts around six days, different incidents related to the life of Lord Krishna will be depicted through tableaux, he said, adding that there will be a light and sound show as well. He said the Bhagavad Gita was a source of inspiration for the country's freedom fighters too.