The International Gita Mahotsav 2026 will be held in Kurukshetra, Haryana, from 5 to 25 December 2026, with the main programmes on 14 to 20 December. Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena announced the dates on 3 November, according to a Haryana government press release. Gita Jayanti, the day the festival builds towards, falls on Sunday, 20 December 2026.
Below are the confirmed dates, the key days, the main sites and how to get there.
International Gita Mahotsav 2026 dates at a glance
- Online Gita quiz: 22 November to 4 December 2026 (The Tribune).
- Gita Sadbhavna Yatra: 4 December 2026.
- Festival opens: 5 December 2026, with the Saras and craft fairs.
- Gita Run: 6 December 2026.
- Main events and cultural programmes: 14 to 20 December 2026.
- Gita Jayanti (Mokshada Ekadashi): Sunday, 20 December 2026.
- Festival closes: 25 December 2026.
The Tribune reports that this is the 11th edition of the festival in its international form, held on the banks of Brahma Sarovar and organised by the district administration and the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB).
What is the International Gita Mahotsav?
Kurukshetra is the battlefield of the Mahabharata, and Hindu tradition holds that Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna here before the war. Gita Jayanti marks that day and falls on Mokshada Ekadashi, the 11th day of the bright half of the month of Margashirsha. Kurukshetra has long celebrated it, and Haryana has run the festival on an international scale for the past decade, with craft fairs, cultural stages, scholarly sessions and evening lamp ceremonies on the sacred tanks.
Many visitors come for the craft bazaar, the evening aarti and the folk performances rather than pilgrimage alone. For other winter dates, our India festival calendar for 2026-27 lists the other big dates.
What is new in 2026
Several details for this year have been confirmed by officials:
- Partner state: West Bengal, whose art and culture will be showcased, according to the district press release and Hindustan Times.
- Saang Mahotsav: a special festival of Saang, Haryana's traditional folk theatre, with performances by well-known Saang artists from the state.
- Evening programmes at Jyotisar: cultural evenings will be held at Jyotisar as well as on the main stage, so pilgrims visiting the site can also catch performances.
- New exhibitions: The Tribune reports that ISRO, the Air Force, the Indian Navy and, for the first time, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will set up exhibitions.
- Global Gita chanting: about 27,000 students are expected to recite together, up from about 21,000 last year, as organisers aim for a world record.
- International craftspeople: KDB honorary secretary Upender Singhal told The Tribune that more than 70 craftspeople from 17 countries had already applied for stalls, and that events will be held in more than 50 countries with help from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Singhal also told The Tribune that the President of Mauritius will visit as chief guest. The exact date of that visit has not been announced, so treat it as unconfirmed until the official schedule is out.
Day-by-day: when to go
5 to 13 December: the quieter first week
The craft and Saras fairs run around Brahma Sarovar from the opening day. Crowds are usually lighter before the main programmes, so this is the easier week to shop and explore.
14 to 20 December: the main programmes
This is when the main-stage cultural programmes, the bigger ceremonies and most of the official events take place. A visitor schedule published on the festival's website, internationalgitamahotsav.in, lists an International Gita Conference on 14 to 16 December and an international craft bazaar from 14 December. That page itself says some timings still need to be confirmed, so check again close to your travel date.
20 December: Gita Jayanti
Gita Jayanti is the festival's high point. The same visitor schedule lists the global Gita chanting at Keshav Park in the morning, a Gita Shobha Yatra in the afternoon and Deep Utsav, the lighting and floating of lamps, at Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar and Jyotisar in the evening. Timings were still unconfirmed when we checked. Expect the heaviest crowds of the festival on this day.
21 to 25 December: the closing days
The fairs continue until 25 December if you would rather avoid the peak crowds.
Places to see in Kurukshetra
- Brahma Sarovar: the huge sacred tank at the centre of the festival, with a Shiva shrine reached by a small bridge and a large bronze sculpture of Krishna and Arjuna's chariot. Many of the festival's events take place on its banks.
- Jyotisar: about 8 km from Kurukshetra Junction, according to the district website. Tradition holds that this is where the Gita was spoken, and a banyan tree here is venerated as an offshoot of the original tree.
- Sannihit Sarovar: another sacred tank, and one of the listed venues for the Gita Jayanti lamp ceremony.
- Museums: the Sri Krishna Museum, the Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre and the Dharohar museum at Kurukshetra University are worth a few hours.
How to reach Kurukshetra
The district administration's travel page gives the basics:
- By train: Kurukshetra Junction is on the Delhi-Ambala line and is a stop for Vande Bharat and Shatabdi trains. Brahma Sarovar is about 3 km from the station.
- By road: Kurukshetra is on NH-44 (the Grand Trunk Road) between Delhi and Chandigarh. Haryana Roadways and other state buses run to Pipli and the Sector 10 bus stand.
- By air: Chandigarh airport is about 95 km away and Delhi's IGI airport about 160 to 170 km.
Book hotels early for 14 to 20 December, and especially for Gita Jayanti weekend, since rooms in Kurukshetra fill quickly during the festival. December fog can delay road and rail travel, so pack warm layers and allow extra time.
Combine it with other December trips
Kurukshetra is an easy add-on to a Delhi trip, much like the November India International Trade Fair at Bharat Mandapam. For a very different December festival, Goa's Serendipity Arts Festival runs from 13 to 20 December, the same week as the Mahotsav's main programmes. Our winter travel guide for India has more ideas for planning and booking.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Gita Mahotsav 2026?
From 5 to 25 December 2026 in Kurukshetra, Haryana, with the main programmes on 14 to 20 December.
When is Gita Jayanti 2026?
Sunday, 20 December 2026, the day of Mokshada Ekadashi.
Who is the partner state this year?
West Bengal, according to the Kurukshetra district administration.
Is there an entry fee?
Officials have not published ticket details for 2026. The fairs and ghat events have generally been open to the public, but some shows may charge separately, so check the official channels before you go.
Sources: Haryana Public Relations Department press release (3 November 2026); The Tribune (10 November 2026); Hindustan Times (10 November 2026); International Gita Mahotsav visitor schedule (internationalgitamahotsav.in); Kurukshetra district administration (kurukshetra.gov.in). Programme timings can change, so confirm them with the organisers before you travel.
Featured image: Tsevang / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Krishna and Arjuna chariot sculpture at Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra (2017); not a festival photo.