In his 1990 book, Carl Sagan famously asked, "Why don't we hear them laughing?" Had the American cosmologist waited a few more years, he might have heard alien laughter loud and clear-echoing from parks in India, where Laughter Yoga was just beginning to bloom.
The idea, unusual as it sounds, was the brainchild of Mumbai-based physician Dr Manoj Kataria. His simple prescription: laugh daily and laugh hard-regardless of whether it's funny or not.
It began in 1995 with a handful of people meeting in a park to share jokes. For a few weeks, the mornings were merry. But as the punchlines began to dry up, things took a darker turn. Humour became less light-hearted, more offensive, and the mood began to shift.
That's when Dr Kataria stumbled upon a game-changing insight. The human body, he found, does not distinguish between real and fake laughter. The physiological benefits are the same either way. So the group began to practise laughter-not as a response, but as an exercise. They paired it with breathing and light stretching, and a global movement was born.
Laughter Yoga has since spread to dozens of countries, and Bhopal, with its large population of retirees, has quietly become one of its enthusiastic outposts.
At daybreak, before the city fully wakes, laughter clubs gather at public parks across the capital. In various neighbourhoods, one can hear a curious chorus of deep breathing, rhythmic clapping, and the signature chant-"ho ho ha ha ha." The groups consist mostly of senior citizens who meet regularly to laugh in unison, often attracting puzzled glances from schoolchildren and morning walkers.
Leading the effort in Bhopal is Dr Pramod Keshav Bhagwat, a retired physician and former WHO programme officer. His group meets near Kaliyasot Dam for a morning walk followed by a session of laughter exercises. "It keeps me energetic through the day," says Dr Bhagwat, who also encourages others to try the practice before forming opinions.
His is the only group in Bhopal listed on the official Laughter Yoga website. But according to him, several informal groups are active in neighbourhood parks and grounds. Locations include Upper Lake, Ekant Park, and various corners of Shahpura.
These sessions are far from monotonous. The laughter takes many forms-lion laughter, silent laughter, even something that looks like drawing water from an invisible hand pump. The result is often a scene that resembles a theatre rehearsal with a slightly jumbled script.
Naturally, the spectacle draws attention. Not all of it is kind. Bystanders sometimes laugh at the laughers, not with them. But participants say they've learnt to shrug it off. "Our job is to laugh, and we do it with full commitment," says one member.
Whether the laughter is real or staged, one thing is certain: it's here to stay. And in a world where stress and silence often dominate mornings, Bhopal's laughter clubs are choosing noise, cheer, and a bit of silliness in the name of good health.