Over 1.50 crore people took part in a mass yoga performance at 29,000 different locations to mark the first International Yoga Day Celebration in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State Gujarat on Sunday morning.
Enthusiasm at the State level was unprecedented at Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) ground in Ahmedabad as more than 1 lakh people performed this 5,000 year-old tradition to keep the body and mind fit early in the morning. Governor of Gujarat OP Kohli, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Council of Ministers, top bureaucrats and some MlAs also participated in the programme.
Apart from GMDC ground, Yoga Day was celebrated at 228 different locations in the Gujarat’s biggest city that include 114 public gardens, Sabarmati Riverfront, Kankaria lake, schools, social organisations and clubs. Besides, the Yoga Day celebrations were kept in all 33 districts. As many as 39,000 master trainers who imparted yoga training to lakhs of people during the last week remained present at different locations across the State.
Over 1,500 trained participants performed yoga on decorated boats in Narmada River near the historic Golden Bridge in Bharuch. They performed on the theme ‘Yoga on the River’, which attracted large number of people from Bhruch and surrounding places. Apart from boats, a floating stage was also prepared on the river where yoga was performed. A parallel yoga session was held in a garden situated on the bank of River Narmada.
At the headquarters of South Western Air Command, one of the five operational Air Commands in Gandhinagar all personnel and their families attended the two hour- long session. Various popular and prevalent yoga asanas, including Yogic Shatkriyas, Yogic Sukshma Vyamana, Yogasana, Pranayama, Bandhhas & Mudras and Dhyana were explained in detail and practiced by the personnel. Air Marshal C Hari Kumar expressed his conviction about yoga practices towards preservation, maintenance and promotion of health and urged the personnel of SWAC to practice yoga on a regular basis.
Gujarat plans to introduce Yoga in schools
It is a known fact that after PM Modi’s appeal, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on December 11, 2014 declared June 21 as the International Yoga Day and more than 170 countries across the globe supported the move. Now, his home State is mulling to introduce yoga as a regular practice in schools.
On Sunday Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel indicated that her government would try to introduce Yoga as regular practice in all schools. She said that the state government would also arrange such Yoga sessions for the citizens at different locations at open grounds. Expressing gratitude towards PM Modi for bringing Yoga at the doorsteps of the world, she said that Narendrabhai gave the world an opportunity to see life with a positive approach.