The government intends to turn Kurukshetra, where the battle of Mahabharata was said to have been fought, into a spiritual hub. Since 2016, an annual festival, the International Gita Mahotsav, has been celebrated to place Kurukshetra and the teachings of the Gita on the world map. Earlier, the festival was largely a local event.
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Kurukshetra and its environs have 182 pilgrimage sites, temples and sacred ponds. Since 2016, development projects worth ₹400 crore have been implemented. A ₹205 crore Mahabharata-themed building, art exhibition, and a multimedia project is being constructed at the Jyotisar pilgrimage site. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal said the comprehensive project is being undertaken by the State government, funded by the ministry of tourism under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, with a budget of ₹80 crore.