Uttarakhand governor Krishan Kant Paul inaugurated the international Yoga festival at Rishikesh on Wednesday. Stating that this programme was getting more popular by the year, he said that such events are helping develop the state into a prominent destination for Yoga and ‘spiritual tourism’.
Inaugurating the festival at Parmarth Niketan and welcoming the participants, the governor expressed gladness considering the gathering and Yoga enthusiasts from across the globe at the International Yoga Festival jointly organised by the ministry of AYUSH ,Government of India, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), Parmarth Niketan and Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN).
He said that according to our ancient scriptures, sages in the search of eternal truth and for meditation, used to go to places close to nature and which were peaceful. Thus in their pursuit, they came to this area. And that is how Uttarakhand became Dev Bhumi. “It is from Dev Bhumi Uttarakhand that Yoga originated and has now spread in the entire world. It is wonderful to see, year after year, so many people from across the world and from every walk of life gather here to celebrate this festival of Yoga and Spirituality ,” he said.
Paul further said that it was apt that the festival coincided with the spring season when the holy river Ganga had clear pristine water from the snows which have just begun to melt and there is fragrance of spring flowers in the air. “I personally have had the great pleasure of joining the festival’s closing ceremony over the past two years and have seen it grow and blossom. I am glad to be inaugurating this event of wellness and oneness this year”.
He called upon all the participants to pledge, on the banks of the Ganga and in the lap of the Himalaya, to be the torchbearers of peace, healing and oneness that the world so desperately needs, striving to apply the teachings of Yoga in every aspect and every moment of their lives.
The governor said Yoga was always linked with meditation. “Yoga has made its way from Vedas like Atharva Veda and Rig Veda, down the ages, into the modern way of living in today’s world. Yoga is helpful not just for maintaining physical health, but also helps to overcome a number of mental problems like stress, depression, frustration. It is wonderful how this festival has been uniting people of different cultures and faiths and promoting the unity of the body, mind and soul.”