Thousands gather for Gita Utsav in Chicagoland headlined by Indian spiritual leader

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Around 6,000 people gathered at the “Sampoorna Bhagavad Gita Parayana,” as part of Gita Utsav, on July 20, 2024, held at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Among those who headlined the event was United States Congressman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents the 8^th Congressional District of Illinois.

Rep. Krishnamoorthi praised His Holiness Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji of the Avadhoota Datta Peetham of Mysore, India, for his visionary leadership behind the Gita Mahayajna Initiative, noting he has taken his oaths of office on the sacred Bhagavad Gita.

“I think about the Bhagavad Gita a lot. I swore my oath to the Constitution on the Bhagavad Gita. The timeless truths of the Bhagavad Gita, you all know – have faith, do your duty, and don’t be attached to the results. Those are lessons that I try to apply in my own work in the United States Congress,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Around 2,000 individuals including 500 memorizers, 500 fluent readers from the current 9^th batch, and 1000 alumni assembled to chant all 700-plus verses of the Bhagavad Gita, at a grand event jointly organized by the SGS Gita Foundation, and the Krishna Datta Hanuman Temple (KDHT).

“Sri Swamiji has inspired countless people around the world, including here in the United States. I’m so honored to welcome him to the best Congressional District in the country, mine,” Krishnamoorthi said.

After the chanting concluded, Sri Swamiji expressed his gratitude to the participants, noting “You have all taken me to the abode of Lord Krishna. You are all forms of Krishna.” He told them that their ability to chant even a single verse of the Bhagavad Gita is a result of good karma from previous births.

Expressing his joy, he remarked “I am not here in Chicago. I am in Krishna’s world. You must continue chanting the Bhagavad Gita despite any challenges in your lives.”

“You have forgotten your phone for 3-4 hours. How lucky you are. We can’t stay without our phone for even a second. It is like our breath,” the spiritual leader said.

He acknowledged the challenges of Kali Yuga, which is “full of sins.” He further said that kids in the United States are subject to so many distractions and commended parents of the participants for keeping their children focused on completing the Bhagavad Gita.

“It’s a huge miracle,” he noted. “Whether you have come to the Bhagavad Gita journey by accident or out of love, you are all very lucky.”

He advised previous graduates of the Mahayajna program to chant at least one chapter every day and went on to assure them that such chanting would provide strength and protection.

Sri Swamiji’s Gita Mahayajna initiative defines its vision as seeking to share the transformative teachings of the Bhagavad Gita with people of all ages. It all began in August 2015, in Dallas, when Sri Swamiji, expressed his desire for 18 children, aged 6-14, to memorize all 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. Remarkably, within a year, 43 children achieved this feat, becoming the first Gita Mahayajna graduates in 2016.

This Mahayajna initiative led to the establishment of the SGS Gita Foundation, which has trained over 5,500 memorizers, and 10,000 fluent readers worldwide. The Foundation is supported by over 250 volunteers working in 30 centers throughout the US. ANI reported that 9 cities in Illinois issued proclamations honoring the event’s cultural and educational contributions.

Sri Swamiji presented certificates and medals to all 1,000 memorizers and fluent readers of the current batch at KDHT in Carpentersville, Illinois.

Rep. Krishnamoorthi congratulated all chanters including a 3 year-old boy, the youngest chanter in the crowd. “Three-years-old. Can you believe that? And, what they have memorized, what they are chanting, are timeless lessons that we will all learn from. It’s so impressive to see this group of people.”

“My name is Raja Krishnamoorthi, so I think it is only appropriate that I come to this celebration of the Gita and Sri Krishna,” the Congressman said. “Hopefully, one of these days, you will chant Bhagavad Gita in Washington DC.”