From classes to masses, UPites embraced Yoga with great excitement as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh led the celebration of International Yoga Festival in state capital saying Yoga is the greatest gift which India has given to the world.
“If you go through the history you will found Yoga and Ayurveda as the integral part of Indian culture and both these sciences have made their mark in the global platform. People across the world are following these ancient art which carry Made in India mark over them,” Singh told the gathering of around 18,000 people who had gathered at KD Singh Babu Stadium on Sunday morning to take part in International Yopga Day celebration.
He said Yoga does not belong to any caste or religion. It is wrong to classify it. Yoga means unification of soul and body so that one can achieve good results in life. “Please do not see it (Yoga) through the prism of religion,” he said.
“like Yoga, Buddhism has also spread from India and has been accepted by many countries like Yoga has been accepted by 192 countries where this ancient art is being displayed in full grandeur,” Union Minister said and added: “ Yoga is a a secret of good health. Now almost all the countries in the world have accepted the Indian culture of Yoga by adopting the International Day for Yoga.”
Excited people performed “aasanas” and Singh along with Mayor Dinesh Sharma went through the routines as per the directives of the instructor. Instructors from Patanjali Yogpeeth, Art Of living, Brahm Kumaris and Nehru Yuva Kendra kept an eye on the people as they went through the drill. Senior BJP leaders including lalji Tandon took took part in the sessions but senior officers and ministers in Akhilesh Yadav Government gave this celebration a skip.
Despite objections by several Muslim organisations, including All India Muslim Personal law Board, a large umber of Muslims participated in the celebrations. Riaz, Rehmani, a resident of Indira Nagar came with his wife and 10 year old son to take part in the Yoga session. “I used to do Yoga during my college days but once I joined service I lost touch,” Riaz an engineer said.
“I bought Yoga mat for Rs 350 only yesterday. I made a beginning today and will continue to do so in future,” he said refusing to talk about opposition by Muslim community. Several Union ministers, BJP MPs and other BJP leaders participated in the yoga programme at several parts of the state. Yoga were also performed at all the jails, hospitals, schools- colleges- universities and other places.
UP Governor Ram Naik too joined the Yoga programme at the Swaran Jayanti park in Indira Nagar. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for getting Yoga accredited on an International level and making June 21 as the International Yoga Day.
In Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yoga programme was performed at his adopted Jayapur village and at the ghats of Ganga. Around 30,000 people joined the programme in the temple city.
Union minister Kalraj Mishra, who led the people in the Yoga programme in Varanasi, said that PM Modi has given a new identity to Yoga in the international arena. He said that all the people should support and appreciate his effort.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who was also present in Varanasi, supervised the Yoga programme at Nivedita school. BJP vice-president and in-charge of UP Om Mathur was present in Agra where he joined the Yoga programme at the Agra college ground while Union minister Uma Bharati was in Jhansi. BJP MP Sanjeev Baliyan and VHP leader Sadhiv Pragya were in Muzaffarnagar.
Union Defence minister Manohar Parikar was in Meerut while Union minister General V K Singh was in Ghaziabad. Union minister Mahesh Sharma led the Yoga in Noida while in Gorakhpur, BJP MP Mahant Adityanath led the programme at the Gorakshnath temple where thousands of people joined the Yoga.
Reports say that prisoners in Etah, Allahabad, lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi jails too joined the programme.