Chandigarh: Preparations are in full swing for the international ‘Gita Mahotsav’ to be celebrated in Kurukshetra from December 6 to 10.

President Pranab Mukherjee, would be the chief guest at the Mahotsav and would inaugurate and lay foundation stones of various programmes and schemes, an official release said.

About 18,000 people would participate in the mega event and chant 18 shlokas of Gita “which would be telecast live via YouTube during the celebrations which are being elevated to global level this year”.

‘Shobha Yatra’ would be organised on this occasion. The Mahotsav would also be celebrated with jail inmates and ‘yajnas’ would be performed in all jails.

The Mahotsav would be celebrated with the slogan Desh Ke Sainikon-Veer Jawanon-Haar Na Mano .

“Last year, Gita Jayanti was celebrated all over the state. Prior to that, the celebrations were confined to Kurukshetra,” this was informed at a meeting on the International Gita Mahotsav held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, here today.

The Haryana Government would invite such researchers, bloggers and persons who may be working in different fields but have contributed towards the promotion of Gita one way or the other. Besides, scholars from various countries would also be invited to speak on Gita.

As many as 574 participants from different parts of the country would reach Kurukshetra on December 6 wearing traditional dresses with Gita shalokas printed on them. Later, they would donate their dresses which would be kept in a museum or mobile museum for visitors, it further said.

The Chief Minister said website of the International Gita Mahotsav www.internationalgitamahotsav2016.com was ready and so far more than 20,000 people had visited it.

Ambassadors and other prominent personalities of various countries would also be invited for the Mahotsav. Besides, Union Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers and minister of other states and heads of various social and religious institutions would also be invited.

PTI