Along with the rest of the world, all the States observed International Yoga Day on Sunday.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar asked people to make Yoga an integral part of their lives as the state joined the International Yoga Day celebrations.
“Everybody should devote at least one hour to Yoga from his daily routine of 24 hours. We cannot extend our routine but could alter it for ensuring a healthy life style. We should make Yoga an integral part of our lives,” Mr. Khattar said in Karnal.
The Chief Minister also claimed that Haryana has hosted the “second biggest” yoga Day celebrations in the country.
“It is a matter of pride that except the programme at Rajpath in Delhi, the programme organized at Karnal to celebrate the ‘International Yoga Day’ is the biggest programme in the country with a footfall of about 25,000-30,000 people,” Mr. Khattar said.
Mr. Khattar also said that state government was making several efforts to promote Yoga.
“As many as 1000 trainers would soon be appointed for the Yog and Vyamshalas to be set up in 1000 villages in the first Phase for imparting Yog training to the people (sic),” Mr. Khattar said.
Congratulating the people of the state, he said that programmes have been organized at 60 places across the state to celebrate ‘International Yoga Day’ witnessing the participation of about one lakh people.
On this occasion, 21 Yog Asanas included in the Yog Protocol were also performed under the guidance of Central In-charge of Patanjali Yogpeeth Dr Jaideep Arya.
The Chief Minister along with people including children and women performed these asanas enthusiastically.
The Chief Minister also offered Acharya Balkrishan of Patanjali Yogpeeth to release his book titled ‘Yog Vishva Kosh’ based on his research from Haryana on next International Yoga Day.
He appreciated the contribution made by Patanjali Yog Peeth under the guidance of Yogrishi Swami Ramdev in the successful planning and management of programmes throughout the state.
Good response to Yoga Day celebration in TN
The International Yoga Day celebration drew enthusiastic response in Tamil Nadu with politicians, including Union Ministers, armed forces personnel and commoners taking part in the event.
Union Minister M Venkiah Naidu took a swipe at the critics of the Yoga Day spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying some people out of ‘habit’ create controversy. Yoga was a discipline which had nothing to do with religion, he said.
“Some people have a habit in this country, to make controversies out of nothing and then destroy positive things and make them negative,” he said participating in a Yoga Day event organised by Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Yoga Centre.
Union Minister of state for Shipping and Roadways, Pon Radhakrishnan participated at different programmes held in Nagercoil to commemorate the International Yoga Day.
BJP’s ally, DMDK, held a special yoga session led by its party chief Vijayakanth and his wife Premalatha.
Clad in all-white outfit, party’s senior leaders, MLAs, and district secretaries practised Yogic asanas along with the actor-turned politician and his wife at the party headquarters here.
Mr. Vijayakanth hailed UN recognition of yoga and said its practise brought peace to an individual while his wife insisted that it had gained worldwide acceptance.
Sri Sri Ravishankar’s The Art of Living also organised yoga camp here on the occasion.
Indian Army and Coast Guard also held yoga camps on Sunday.
Qualified yoga instructors taught ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayama’ (breathing exercise) to Coast Guard personnel and their families.
Coast Guard Coammader (East) SP Sharma, urged all to adapt a healthy lifestyle by including yoga as a ‘compulsory’ part.
At the Officers Training Academy (OTA), army personnel attended a yoga session.
Lieutenant General Ravindra Pratap Sahi, Commandant, OTA said yoga classes were regular feature and part of training curriculum for ‘Gentlemen and Lady Cadets’ at the OTA.
“OTA is equipped with a proper yoga hall and qualified yoga instructors,” Sahi added.
Further, more than 17,115 NCC cadets performed yoga in eight venues here even as enthusiastic school students, young and elderly persons participated in yoga programme across the state.
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh joined the celebration of International Yoga Day with a large number of people turning out for the programme at Indira Gandhi Park despite the rain.
Governor Jyoti Prashad Rajkhowa, students and teachers of different educational institutes, faith groups, government officials and citizens participated in the event under the guidance of Yoga instructor Nagesh Singh of Patanjali.
Greeting the participants and organisers on the occasion, the Governor said Yoga was essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body.
“It is an art and science for healthy living,” he said and called upon the people to incorporate Yoga as part of their daily life.
Yoga, he said, provides physical and mental well being of the people and that is why it has been gaining popularity both in the East and the West.
He said Yoga is not a religion but a way of living, aiming for a healthy mind in a healthy body.
It aims to achieve this through a series of physical and mental exercises, he said.
“Yoga originated in Hindusthan, the Land of the Indus or Bharatvarsa nearly 15000 years ago, when there was no religious division in the society and was universally accepted as one of the most ideal practices of mankind,” he added.
Meghalaya
Along with the rest of the world, the International Day of Yoga was observed at 14 (fourteen) venues across Meghalaya with the Governor also actively taking part in the session.
The Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmuganathan visited one Yoga session venue at the Garrison Ground, Rhino Training Centre, Shillong and participated in the yoga exercises along with the cadets.
The mega event was planned and organized by the NCC Group Headquarter, Shillong wherein yoga teachers from the Art of Living Foundation imparted training to the NCC cadets in preparation for the observance of the day.
Out of the total number of 4958 cadets that participated in 14 (fourteen) venues across the entire Meghalaya, a total number of 2055 cadets assembled to do yoga exercises here at the Garrison Ground, Rhino Training Centre, Shillong.
The U.N. has declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga after a draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.
Odisha
Odisha joined rest of the world in observing the first International Yoga Day with a large number of people attending yoga sessions, braving rains.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram participated in the function organised at Jeypore in Koraput district on the occasion.
Similarly, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the International Yoga Day celebrations at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.
In the state capital, around 3,000 people including a host of prominent personalities took part in a yoga session organised by the state Health and Family Welfare department in association with State Odisha Ayush Society.
Prominent among those present at the event were state Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sudam Marandi, Culture and Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda and Higher Education Minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi.
All the leaders highlighted the importance of yoga, considered as an ancient form of exercise, in maintaining physical and mental fitness.
Mass yoga sessions were organised in different places where ministers and other leaders participated as their presence would encourage the youngsters to undertake the unique exercise regularly, said a senior official.
Several educational institutions including universities, colleges and schools also held special yoga sessions to mark the day.
The day was also observed at the Central University of Orissa on its campus at Landguda in Koraput.
Yoga practice was organised under the guidance of Prof Kishore Chandra Raut Dean—Academics of the University who is an ardent follower of yoga.
Rajasthan
Lakhs of people in Rajasthan performed yoga for one hour to mark the first International Yoga Day with the state’s main event being attended by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her cabinet colleagues at Sawai Man Singh Stadium here.
Ms. Raje participated in the morning yoga session at the stadium.
One hour yoga practice was guided by chief instructor Kulbhushan Bairathi of Patanjali Yogpeeth from 6:40 am to 7:40 a.m.
The Chief Minister also administered the oath of health, fitness and discipline in life to over 25,000 people cutting across all religions after the yoga session.
Ms. Raje’s cabinet colleagues Kiran Maheshwari, K.C. Saraf, Rajendra Rathore, Jaipur MP Ram Charan Bohara and state BJP President Ashok Parnami were among others present on the occasion.
Yoga Day celebration was observed in North Western Railway’s headquarters, Rajasthan Police and Jail HQs, Public Sector nationalised banks, BJP office and its frontal organisation.
Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee did not observe the Yoga Day at any of its district offices.
“Congress is not against Yoga. Yoga was also politicised by Narendra Modi government and the spirit of Father’s Day was lowered down,” Congress spokesperson Archna Sharma said.
“Lots of government money and resources were used by the BJP governments for just one hour of exercise which was ancient and used to be practised by people in the country on their own...what’s new in it except for BJP propaganda,” she said.
Besides cities, yoga was also performed in 9,900 gram panchayats in which all elected representatives, NGOs and government employees took part, Medical and Health Minister R.S. Rathore said.
About 1.5 lakh books on yogic postures and its health benefits were distributed in the entire state for this purpose, he said.
Mr. Rathore said the state government is considering to frame a separate policy on yoga and set up some institutes for regular exercise in Rajasthan.
Punjab
The challenge of terrorism cannot be dealt with gun alone and yoga can play an effective role in changing people’s mindset towards achieving peace and harmony, said Haryana and Punjab Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki.
Speaking on the occasion of International Yoga Day organised by International Brahmrishi Mission Chandigarh, he said that “it is yoga which will make us realise the profound meaning of life to attain higher consciousness.”
“This Day is dedicated at international level to create its profound significance in one and all and this will help in creating world peace,” he said.
The Governor said that today terrorism is raising its head in many countries and gun alone cannot control it.
“In order to root it out we have to change the mindset of the people and for that yoga practice would play a significant role,” he said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on Saturday that terrorists do not lack in perverted intelligence and suggested that they do yoga in order to channelise their knowledge towards constructive work in the society.
Yoga will give you good health and sound mind, Mr. Solanki said, adding, that yoga has raised the stature of our country in the eyes of the world.
The United Nations has accepted the proposal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make June 21, International Yoga Day, he said.
Earlier, the Administrator of Union Territory Chandigarh, visited Sukhna Lake, where he interacted with the students of Regional Institute for Mentally Handicapped who participated in yoga sessions.
Several volunteers from general public and students performed yoga at the garden of silence, regulatory end of Sukhna lake.
Jharkhand
Jharkhand celebrated International Yoga Day with Chief Minister Raghubar Das, his cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats joining the common people at different places across the state to mark the day.
Mr. Das performed Yoga along with around 10,000 people, including ministers, political leaders and bureaucrats at the Morhbadi ground here from around 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba and several other bureaucrats were present at the ground where instructors from Art of Living, Yogada Satsanga Ashram and Patanjali Yog Pith guided them to do 21 yoga and breathing exercises, said a government official.
The districts too celebrated the day with enthusiasm.
Former chief minister Arjun Munda joined a congregation at Dhanbad.
The Jharkhand Chapter of the Brahmakumaris also marked the day with enthusiasm at Harmu road.
The Chief Minister had on Saturday urged the people to make yoga a party of their daily life.
More than 1500 army personnel including senior officials participated in a yoga programme at Dhyanchand stadium.
"Yoga is a part of regular fitness practice of Army personnel. It helps to gain control over our consciousness, in dealing with stress and enhances the ability to withstand problems,” Brigadier GPS Sosodia, Commandant of the Punjab Regimental Centre, Ramgarh, said.
Colonel Arnendra Sharma, officiating Commandant of Sikh Regimental Centre, Ramgarh, said Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition which embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfilment and harmony between man and nature, a holistic approach to health and well being.
