The International Yoga Festival has started on Thursday at two places in the same city Rishikesh, deified as the world capital of yoga. While the one being hosted at Parmarth Niketan has started informally on the day as the Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu would formally inaugurate the festival on March 3 the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the State Government- sponsored festival at GMVN premises in the presence of a number of Ministers and the Speaker of the Assembly. The festival at both the places would continue till March 8.
CM in his inaugural address stressed on learning Sanskrit to delve deeper into the essence of Yoga. “As Uttarakhand begot both the state government is thus doing everything to promote both,” he said. Dwelling on the importance of Yoga, he said that it not just helps one lead a healthy life based on deeper foundations it promotes world peace. The State Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said that Yoga transcends boundaries of religions, castes and creeds and unites humanity with its unique message of oneness of all. He stressed on such festivals being held across the country to help it reach the nook and corner of the world. The Speaker of the state Assembly Prem Chandra Agarwal, the Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat and Agriculture Minister Subodh Uniyal were also present during the inauguration.
The first day of the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan began at 4 am with Kundalini Sadhana led by Gurushabd Singh Khalsa from California, USA followed by pre-breakfast classes on Vinyasa Yoga with Akira Watamoto of Japan in the lead, Vinyasa Strength with Krishnamurthy Mohan Raj of China in the lead and Kundalini Yoga with Gloria latham of Canada in the lead. Aside from the Vice- President M Venkaiah Naidu who would formally inaugurate the festival on March 3, His Holiness the Dalai lama would grace it with his presence, said the organisers. He would attend the Ganga Aarti and lead a special meditation. Besides, he would unveil a statue of lord Buddha in Parmarth Niketan premises.
While the morning session was devoted to Yoga classes taken by presenters who have come from 18 countries the evening turned colourful as the participants celebrated Holi by smearing one another with colour. The ashram functionaries claimed that the festival would see participation of over 1500 people from 92 countries.
Swami Chidanand Saraswati, the spiritual head of Parmarth Niketan, said that over 80 saints, yogacharyas, presenters and experts from close to 18 countries are participating in the festival. Ashtanga Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Bharat Yoga, Ganga Yoga and Somatics Yoga are just a few of the nearly 200 different things to be taken up during the week-long festival. Classes on meditation, mudras, art of Sanskrit mantras, Reiki and Indian philosophy would also be held in course of the festival, the seer said.