Lakhs of devotees, including sadhus and sadhvis from across West Bengal and neighbouring states, gathered at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground for a massive Bhagavad Gita recital, organisers said.
Clad in saffron robes, monks read shlokas in unison, holding up copies of the scripture as the chanting rolled across the historic venue.
Senior BJP leaders such as former state chief Sukanta Majumdar, ex-MP Locket Chatterjee and MLA Agnimitra Paul, along with religious figures including Swami Pradiptananda Maharaj, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, and Dhirendra Shastri, joined the programme.
Christened ‘Panch Lakkho Konthe Gita Path’ (Gita chanting by five lakh voices), the event has been put together by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, a collective of monks and spiritual leaders representing multiple monasteries and Hindu institutions.
The organisers say the effort aims to highlight Bengal’s spiritual heritage and build social harmony through shared recitation. Paul said, "The Gita is not for Hindus alone, it is for all 140 crore people of India."
The scale of the gathering has also been projected as the largest collective recital of the Gita attempted in the state, and possibly the country.
In his address, Kartik Maharaj noted the current social mood. "In a climate of division, spiritual practice can restore calm and direction," he said, adding that thousands from across the state had pledged participation.
To manage the turnout, organisers have arranged extensive crowd regulation, stepped-up security, and emergency medical services. Three large stages have been built across the expanse of Brigade, and security presence has increased across central Kolkata.
Swami Gyananandaji Maharaj of the Geeta Manishi Mahamandal is leading the spiritual component of the gathering, while yoga guru Baba Ramdev and several noted monks have been invited.
The event lands in the middle of a politically heated moment. It comes a day after suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation for a “Babri Masjid-style” mosque in Murshidabad, drawing sharp reactions across the spectrum.
This is not the first time Brigade has hosted such a public expression of devotion.
Exactly two years ago, a ‘one lakh voices’ Gita chanting event ahead of the Lok Sabha elections sparked a political confrontation, with the ruling TMC accusing the BJP of using religion as a tool for polarisation.