A grand staging of Samrat Vikramaditya Mahanatya will be held in Varanasi from 3 to 5 April 2026 under Vikramotsav. The event includes Vedic clock offerings, cultural programs and special presentations bringing the historical heritage to life.
Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has said that the glory story of Emperor Vikramaditya, the originator of Indian time calculation and symbol of justice, will now echo on the holy land of Kashi. B.L.W of Varanasi, the city of religion and culture. A grand cultural event will be held in the grounds from 3 to 5 April 2026 (Vikram Samvat 2083). This program is being organized with the joint efforts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments, in which the staging of the great drama ‘Samrat Vikramaditya’ will be the main attraction.
Will be inaugurated in the presence of Prime Minister Modi and Yogi Adityanath
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this event will bring alive the golden history of India. The program will be inaugurated in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The objective of this event is to make the common people aware of the science of Vikram Samvat and the great achievements of Indian history.
‘Vikramaditya Vedic Clock’ will be dedicated to Baba Vishwanath
After successful installation in Ujjain, ‘Vikramaditya Vedic Clock’ will now be dedicated to Baba Vishwanath in Varanasi. This clock is based on the Indian chronology system and its digital version has also been prepared. For this, a special mobile app has been launched, which gives information about time and calendar in more than 180 languages. This initiative is an important step towards giving global recognition to Indian scientific and cultural heritage.
The glorious journey of Mahanatya started from 2007
‘Samrat Vikramaditya’ Mahanatya started in the year 2007. Since then it has been staged in cities like Ujjain, Bhopal, Agra, Hyderabad and Delhi. The Prime Minister had also praised the staging held at the Red Fort in April 2025.
Bravery, justice and cultural heritage will be seen in the great drama
This play shows the life of Emperor Vikramaditya, his courage, love for justice and the importance of ‘Vikram Samvat’. In this, famous stories like ‘Simhasan Battisi’ and ‘Betal Pachchisi’ will be brought alive on the stage. Besides, we will also get a glimpse of that period through the references of Bhavishya Purana. The play also depicts the cultural damage caused by foreign invasions and the efforts to revive it. The scholarship of the Navratnas of the Emperor’s court—Kalidas and Varahamihir—will also be effectively presented.
Grand technical presentation with 175 artists
More than 175 artists will participate in this play of about 1 hour 45 minutes. Real elements like chariots, horses, camels and palanquins will be used on the stage. The audience will get an amazing experience through three different stages and modern graphics and special effects.
Cultural exhibition and social message
Many informative exhibitions will also be organized at the venue, in which information about ‘Arsh Bharat’, Shiv Purana, Chaurasi Mahadev, Shri Hanuman and religious places of Madhya Pradesh will be given. This event will also strengthen the resolve of ‘Clean and Prosperous Madhya Pradesh’.
Creator and artist of Mahanatya
This play has been conceptualized by Dr. Mohan Yadav. It has been written by Padmashree Dr. Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit, directed by Sanjeev Malviya and presentation coordinator is Rajesh Singh Kushwaha. It is being presented by ‘Shri Vishala Cultural and Public Interest Committee, Ujjain’. Vikram Singh Chauhan and Dr. Rahat Patel will be seen in the lead roles as Emperor Vikramaditya. Other cast includes Krishna Rathore, Durgesh Bali, Chetan Shah, Renuka Deshpande and Rishi Yogi.
Vikramotsav: Global platform for cultural renaissance
‘Vikromotsav’ has now become a global cultural campaign. More than 41 activities are being organized in it in 2026, including Mahakal Van Mela, Film Festival and Ved Antakshari. More than 4 thousand artists are participating in it.
Announcement of Samrat Vikramaditya Award
Madhya Pradesh government has instituted ‘Samrat Vikramaditya International Award’, the amount of which will be Rs 1.01 crore. Along with this, national and state level honors have also been announced.
Emperor Vikramaditya: Symbol of bravery and justice
Emperor Vikramaditya secured India by defeating the Shakas and established a golden age of justice and culture. In his court there were great scholars like Kalidasa and Varahamihira, who enriched the Indian knowledge tradition.
Vikram Samvat: Scientific and cultural importance
Vikram Samvat, which started in 57 BC, is an important basis of Indian calendar. It starts from ‘Chaitra Shukla Pratipada’ and is celebrated with different names in India, like Gudi Padwa and Ugadi.
India from heritage to becoming world leader
Emperor Vikramaditya is also credited with the reconstruction of the temples in Ayodhya. Today India is moving towards becoming a world leader by reviving its cultural heritage.