All set to be bound by a universal language of laughter, members of the Vijayawada Laughter Club and their friends from various Walkers' Associations in and around Vijayawada city assembled on the sprawling Andhra Loyola College grounds.
It was the first Sunday of May, the World Laughter Day, and the 800-odd participants of the ‘laughter march' were eager to activate the ‘feel good' hormones into the bloodstream related to emotions of happiness, warmth, unconditional love, bonding, tolerance, generosity and compassion.
It was this ‘joy cocktail' that brought them on a common platform that was a sure-fire path to good health, joy and world peace, they believed.
Holding placards with slogans such as “East or West, laughing is the best', “One…two…three….laughing is free” and “Laughter is the best medicine” they marched across the ground, shared jokes and performed skits that evoked peels of laughter of varied intensities.
Commissioner of Income Tax Department, Vijayawada, Ajay Kumar, the chief guest on the occasion, lived up to the occasion and laced his speech with subtle humour that brought wide grins on the faces around.
In a lighter vein, Mr. Ajay Kumar said he had almost forgotten to laugh after he joined the Income Tax Department.
He went on to suggest that people better be prompt in payment of tax lest the guilt of non-adherence to norms should never allow them to smile.
Founder president of the Laughter Club T.V. Hanumantha Rao read out the message of Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga International Foundation.
“Nowadays, we face enormous stress and most of us are at war with ourselves. Laughter is a positive and powerful emotion which helps people to change the world in a peaceful and positive way,” said Mr. Rao.
