Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat along with his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath, inaugurated the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh on Sunday. Yoga experts and enthusiasts from 11 countries and nine States are participating in this seven-day long Yoga festival being held at Ganga Resort in Muni-ki-Reti.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Rawat said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had played an important role in developing an international identity for Yoga. He said that the Government had undertaken efforts on an elaborate scale to develop Uttarakhand as a Yoga hub and Rishikesh as an international centre for Yoga. He said, “The Government is working to attract tourists to Uttarakhand through spiritual Yoga. Yoga is important for the health and welfare of the world and the whole world has today started to feel its need. This is the reason why Yoga teachers from Uttarakhand are being called on priority wherever the practice of Yoga is starting in the world.”
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that Yoga was formed due to the tradition and penance of Rishis for the welfare of all creatures. He said, “The Prime Minister has worked hard to make the spiritual and sacred knowledge of Yoga reach all corners of the world while making India the world’s guru in Yoga. Rishikesh has also emerged as a Yoga centre on the world map.” Appreciating the Swachchh Bharat mission, Adityanath said that combining cleanliness with Yoga can enhance physical and mental strengthen while also boosting the immune system. On the occasion, he also spoke of cooperating with the Uttarakhand government for the Kumbh Mela to be held at Haridwar in 2021.
Appreciating the state government’s efforts to boost tourism he said that considerable snowfall during the past month had brought a large number of foreign and domestic tourists including those from Uttar Pradesh to the mountains in Uttarakhand.
The Vidhan Sabha speaker and Rishikesh MLA Prem Chand Agrawal, minister of state Dhan Singh Rawat, Juna Akhada Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avadheshanand, tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar and others were also present on the occasion.