Haryana CMO Invites Public to 77th Van Mahotsav at Karnal
Synopsis
Haryana's Chief Minister's Office has invited citizens to the 77th State-Level Van Mahotsav on 30 July 2026 at Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Ayush University in Karnal, continuing a tree-planting tradition launched nationally in 1950.
Key Takeaways
The 77th State-Level Van Mahotsav is being held on 30 July 2026 in Karnal, Haryana .
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Ayush University, Village Kuteil, Karnal .
The programme begins at 12:00 noon IST and is open to the general public.
Van Mahotsav was launched nationally in July 1950 by K.M.
Munshi to promote afforestation.
State-level editions typically include mass plantation drives and announcements of seasonal green-cover targets by the forest department.
A 76-year-old national tradition of planting trees gets its grandest state-level stage today in Haryana. The Chief Minister's Office of Haryana has invited citizens to the 77th State-Level Van Mahotsav ceremony, scheduled for 30 July 2026 at noon at Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Ayush University, Village Kuteil, Karnal.
A festival rooted in 1950 — and still growing
Van Mahotsav is not a modern invention. K.M. Munshi, India's first Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, launched the festival in July 1950 as a nationwide call to plant trees and reverse the country's rapid deforestation. States quickly adopted their own editions, turning it into an annual civic ritual that blends ceremonial planting with public messaging on green cover.
Haryana's state-level edition has followed this tradition every year, with district administrations and the forest department mobilising local residents and schoolchildren alongside official dignitaries. The 77th edition marks more than seven decades of unbroken continuity for the festival.
Why Karnal, and why Ayush University
Karnal is one of Haryana's most prominent districts — home to national agricultural research institutions and a recurring host for state government programmes. Choosing Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Ayush University as the venue signals a deliberate link between environmental stewardship and public health, two policy domains that have increasingly converged in state-level programming.
The university campus provides open land suited for ceremonial plantation drives, and its academic setting reinforces the message that environmental responsibility begins in educational institutions.
What the day looks like on the ground
The programme begins at 12:00 noon IST. State-level Van Mahotsav events typically combine a formal inauguration with a mass plantation drive, where saplings — often of native or medicinal species — are distributed to attendees and planted on campus grounds. Forest department officials usually announce district-wise plantation targets for the season at such events, making the numbers that emerge today worth watching.
The broader pattern across India is consistent: Van Mahotsav ceremonies have become a key moment for states to publicly benchmark their annual green-cover commitments and rally community participation before the monsoon planting window closes.
Seven decades in, the festival's simplest ask — plant a tree, mean it — remains its most powerful one.
Point of View
State governments have increasingly used Van Mahotsav as a visible accountability moment, tying ceremonial planting to measurable forest-cover targets. For Haryana, a state with below-national-average forest cover, the annual festival carries added urgency. The plantation numbers announced today will indicate how seriously the state is treating its green-cover commitments this monsoon season.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Van Mahotsav and when did it start?
Van Mahotsav is an annual tree-planting festival launched in July 1950 by K.M. Munshi , India's first Agriculture Minister, to promote afforestation and public awareness about forests. States hold their own editions each year.
Where is the 77th Van Mahotsav in Haryana being held?
The 77th State-Level Van Mahotsav in Haryana is being held at Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Ayush University, Village Kuteil, Karnal on 30 July 2026 at noon.
Who has invited the public to the Van Mahotsav event in Haryana?
The Chief Minister's Office of Haryana posted the official invitation on X, calling all citizens to attend the state-level ceremony.
What happens at a state-level Van Mahotsav event?
State-level Van Mahotsav events typically include a formal inauguration, a mass plantation drive where saplings are distributed and planted, and announcements by the forest department on district-wise plantation targets for the season.
Why is Karnal chosen for the Haryana Van Mahotsav 2026?
Karnal is a prominent Haryana district that regularly hosts major state government programmes. The Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Ayush University campus provides suitable open grounds for plantation drives and connects environmental messaging to public health.
