On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Chhattisgarh has set the goal of making world record for 1.25 crore people simultaneously doing Yoga in the State. A State-wide campaign will be launched from June 15 and this campaign will conclude on 21 June 2 the fourth International Yoga Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as Chief Guest for the concluding ceremony. This information was provided by Chairman of Yog Ayog Sanjay Kumar Agrawal in the second meeting of Sadharan Sabha of Chhattisgarh Yog Ayog held today evening.
He informed that Chief Minister Raman Singh has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Yoga Day by writing a letter.
On behalf of Ayog, an invitation letter has been sent to Shripad Yasso Naik, State Minister, Union Ministry of Aayush and Health and Family Welfare. Agrawal informed in the meeting that this year, officials of Guinness Book of World Record, limca Book of World Record and Golden Book of World Record has been invited, as the state prepared to set the world record of 1.25 crore people doing yoga at the same time.
Agrawal said that Chhattisgarh is the first state of the country, where Chief Minister Raman Singh constituted Yog Ayog under Social Welfare Department on April 25, 2017 to create health awareness among people of state. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, in his speech in general assembly of United Nations Organizations on December 27, 2014, had requested to observe one day of year as Yoga Day across the world. On his call, this day is observed as International Yoga Day every year.
Agrawal informed that Yog Ayog has already started various activities to develop Chhattisgarh as clean, healthy and obesity free state. Within just one year of its formation, Ayog has prepared 19 ,237 yoga instructors in 10 months by organising division-level residential yoga training camps in five divisional headquarters, non-residential yoga training camp in 17 places for all 146 blocks. 18 ,215 of these trainees has been trained as assistant-instructors.
Ayog has chalked out an action plan to organize yoga camps for villagers of nearly 11 thousand gram panchayats of state. State has the target of preparing one lakh yoga instructors.
Secretary of Water Resource Department Sonmoni Borah was also present. The Chairman of the Ayog praised Borah for his constribition in organizing International Yoga Day event, yoga camps and mainly in formation of Yoga Ayog as Secretary of Social Welfare Department.
Notably, on the occasion of third International Yoga Day, Chhattisgarh had set a unique world record on June 21 last year. Nearly 50 lakh people of the State practiced yoga with Chief Minister Raman Singh at the same time in different places. In nearly 11,000 different places of the State, school students, old people, youth, women and people from all sections of society enthusiastically came together to practice yoga.
Singh performed various 'asanas' of yoga in the sequence, with 600 school students in Indoor Stadium, opp Vivekananda Sarovar of capital city Raipur. On the occasion, nearly 50 lakh people in all the districts of Chhattisgarh practiced yoga at the same time, setting a unique record which has been included in Golden Book of World Record. Observer of the Golden Book of World Records Santosh Agrawal handed over the certificate of this world record to Chief Minister. Along with school children, many public representatives, senior officials of Government-administration also joined Chief Minister in this yoga session.
After one-hour session of yoga, the Chief Minister had addressed the school students and citizens as Chief Guest of the occasion, saying- healthy mind and body of citizens will create healthy Chhattisgarh and a healthy nation. It is a historical day for Chhattisgarh, when nearly 50 lakh people will simultaneously perform yoga in different places of state and created a world record.
Singh said- “We should make yoga part of our daily routine. It shouldn’t be about just one day, rather we should pledge to practice yoga all 365 days of the year.”
The Chief Minister expressed hope that the 600 students who practiced yoga today will keep inspiring and motivating their family and other people to do the same.
He said “today entire nation and the world is observing international yoga day, entire credit of this goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who glorified this ancient yoga education,
knowledge and culture at world level.” On the proposal of the Prime Minister only, 193 nations of UNO had given recognition to India's yoga education and declared
June 21 as International Yoga Day, he said.
On the occasion, Chief Minister also congratulated founder of Patanjali Yoga Peeth Yog Guru Baba Ramdev for his contribution promoting yoga among citizens. Chief Minister felicitated the yoga trainers of Patanjali Yog Peeth with memento.
Observer of Golden Book of World Record Santosh Agrawal informed people that a company in USA had made the world record of 1800 people doing yoga simultaneously, last year one lakh people did yoga at one place in Durg of Chhattisgarh, and today 50 lakh people performed yoga simultaneously at 11 thousand different places in Chhattisgarh creating a unique record in itself.