Kolkata's Spectacular Gita Chanting Event: Spirituality Meets Politics

Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground will host an event featuring five lakh participants chanting the Bhagavad Gita, aimed at unifying spiritual and cultural values in West Bengal. Despite its declared apolitical stance, the event carries political undertones, coinciding with upcoming Assembly elections and involving influential religious figures.

In a monumental display of devotion and spiritual unity, Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Ground is set to host a mammoth 'five-lakh-voices Gita chanting' event on December 7, 2023. The gathering, organized by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, is anticipated to be the largest collective chanting of the Bhagavad Gita in West Bengal, possibly in India.

Leading the session will be Swami Gyananandaji Maharaj from the Geeta Manishi Mahamandal. The event also features Padma Bhushan recipient Sadhvi Rithambara as chief guest, with yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Bageshwar Dham's Dhirendra Shastri as special invitees. Despite its declared focus on spirituality, the event's scale and timing amid a politically charged atmosphere ahead of next year's Assembly elections have sparked discussions on its potential political undertones.

The organizers emphasize unity and cultural heritage, with support from monasteries, temples, and social organizations across the state. While crowd-control measures are being implemented for the anticipated massive turnout, the gathering may inevitably influence the political narrative, highlighting the delicate intersection between spirituality and politics in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)