The first International Yoga Day on Sunday was observed here by various organisations with public performances of yoga or functions highlighting the importance of yoga.
The Town Square here was a venue of a yoga performance on Sunday held in the morning as part of the country-wide International Yoga Day observance under the aegis of the Central Ministry of Youth Affairs. Bharatiya Janata Party district president K. Ranjith and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary K.K. Balaram were among those who participated in the yoga performance.
The Yoga Day programme was also held at the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhhimala. Naval and civilian community of the academy including children and senior citizens participated in the yoga performance.
The INA said more than 1,000 people attended the mass yoga exercise programme held at the INA. The event was attended by INA Commandant Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P.
Senior Naval officers and their families also took part in the event.
Benefits
A press handout of the INA said the event was held with the objective of spreading yoga awareness and to educate personnel on the benefits of yoga for stress relief and physical wellness, strength, and stamina.
Orientation programme
A yoga orientation programme was organised by the Malabar Cancer Care Society to mark the day. District panchayat president K.A. Sarala inaugurated the International Yoga Day function at the society.
Society president D. Krishnanadha Pai and vice-president B.V. Bhat were among those present at the function.
The Yoga Day was also observed at the Central Prison here at a function held in association with the Akashavani Kannur.
The programme was inaugurated by the Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Shivadas K. Thyparambil. Akashavani Kannur programme head K. Balachandran was the chief guest. Yoga instructor P.K. Subramanyan delivered a talk on ‘Yoga and health.’ Yoga instructors Anandan Veliyambra and V. Prabhakaran were felicitated at the function.
A district-level yoga training programme of the Indian Martial Arts Academy and Yoga Study Centre, an initiative backed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) here, was inaugurated at Peravur in the afternoon. The training programme was inaugurated by CPI(M) Peravur area committee secretary and Peravur block panchayat president M. Rajan.
The inaugural function was followed by a demonstration of yoga postures by yoga instructor E. Rajiv.
The academy representatives said that its objective was to free yoga from the upper class.
