Living Heritage in Urban Space and Cultural Representation of Kurukshetra: A Geographical Study of Gita Mahotsav

The annual celebration of Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra serves as a compelling case to examine how sacred heritage is enacted, spatially reimagined, and culturally represented within a contemporary urban milieu. This study investigates the spatial-cultural dynamics of the festival through the lens of cultural geography, with a particular focus on the interplay between living heritage, public space, and the symbolic imagination of Kurukshetra. Drawing on primary data, comprising field observations, interviews with residents, performers, and visitors, along with spatial mapping of festival zones, this research analyses how the Mahotsav reconfigures the city into a ritualized geography. Kurukshetra, a mytho-historic city, is transformed into a performative stage where sacred narratives and political discourses converge through visual iconography, religious rituals, and state-sponsored performances. The findings reveal a multilayered urban landscape wherein devotion, commerce, tourism, and political symbolism intersect, underscoring the complexities of representing heritage in public space. This paper contributes to broader scholarly conversations on urban religiosity, geographies of belief, and the cultural politics of spatial representation.