Even as the City of Joy created yet another world record on Sunday, with more than a lakh people jointly reciting the hymns from The Holy Gita, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the initiative, iterating through his message, “The recitation of Srimad Bhagavad Gita by such a large gathering of people who have come together from different walks of life will not only boost social harmony but also infuse energy into our nation’s development journey.”

Praising the Lokkho Konthe Gitapatha, organised by the Lokkho Konthe Gitapatha Committee — an association of Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, Matilal Bharat Tirtha Seba Mission Ashram, and Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrit Porisad — the Prime Minister said, “Our cultural heritage is an amalgamation of lofty traditions, profound knowledge, and philosophical-spiritual wisdom.

“Inclusivity, cultural diversity, and harmony are our inherent strengths. From the times of Mahabharat to our Freedom Movement, down to the present day, Srimad Bhagavad Gita continues to inspire one and all.”

The pluralism of the path that The Gita offered transcended the boundaries of time and space, he said, adding how it offered “insights into the true nature of the world, one’s own self, and the entire universe.”

Expecting that the recitation of The Gita by such a large number of people would bring sufficient energy to society, the Prime Minister said, “The period till 2047 is an opportunity to fulfill the vision of building a strong, developed, and inclusive Bharat through collective efforts.”

More than one lakh people jointly chanted the eternal slokas of The Gita led by Shankaracharya of Dwarka Math and many other seers and sadhus — all amid the blowing of 20,000 conch shells.

The air was spiritually electric, as many visitors expressed.

The recitation of The Gita on Christmas Eve transported Kolkata’s own brand of “renaissance spirituality” to a different height where you saw no difference between Krishna (the Lord) and Krishta (the Jesus),” said one of the sadhus, adding, “Now one understands that Kolkata is truly the City of Ramakrishna Parmahansa and Swami Vivekananda.”

Meanwhile, politics also caught up with the holy hymns, even as the State BJP, which provided massive backup support for the programme to be a reality, claimed that after Sunday, the history of Kolkata and Bengal would change once and for all.

“The Trinamool Congress has polluted the air and culture of Bengal ... it had started with the agnostic Left rule who advocated playing football rather than chanting The Gita … now the people of Bengal tread a different path … there will be a new reawakening in Bengal,” said an upbeat State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar.

“Brigade Parade Ground (where the program was organized) has seen a new era unfold in Kolkata … this Ground has seen huge political meetings but not a religious program of such magnitude and one is sure the people will change after this,” he said.

Though State Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari earlier said his party had nothing to do with it and that The Gita path was “not at all linked to the coming general elections,” his teammate Majumdar made no bones about his party’s active involvement, asking “where is the wrong if the BJP men have actively taken part in it.” Quoting the Prime Minister, Majumdar said how “The Gita is the gift of India to the world, and the world had no bigger thing to get from India than the preaching of The Gita.”

He said some people (TMC leader Kunal Ghosh) are mocking the event “but soon they will see what effect the hymns of The Gita left on the people of the State.” When asked whether he was pointing at the general elections, he said he was “speaking about the general thought process of the people.”

The Trinamool Congress, however, refused to attach any importance to the programme, saying the BJP’s dirty efforts to divide people were read through by the people of the State when they rejected them in the 2021 Assembly elections.

“No amount of religious programmes would fetch them votes … they will draw a blank in Bengal,” Ghosh said, rejecting the BJP’s claim that 1 lakh people had assembled at the Brigade Parade Ground. “We had organised similar programmes earlier where little more than 5,000 people had attended … this was not bigger than that,” Ghosh said.