People enthusiastically take part in International Day of Yoga in Mangaluru

The district administration, Ayush department, Nehru Yuva Kendra and members of various Yoga associations observed the International Day of Yoga at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall in Mangaluru on Tuesday. Over 300 people participated in it and performed various Yoga Asanas.

On the occasion, Mangalore City South MLA Vedavyasa Kamath said that India introduced Yoga to the world. “Yoga gained popularity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice and helps in maintaining health.”

He called upon participants to practise yoga to promote it.

Yoga guru Gopalakrishna Delampady guided participants in doing Yoga Asanas and explained the importance of each Yoga Asana.

He said that the word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj', meaning 'to join' or 'to unite'. As per Yogic scriptures, the practice of Yoga indicates a perfect harmony between the mind and body.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V, Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr Kumar, Fisheries Development Corporation Chairman Nithin Kumar, Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Sonawane, Additional DC Krishnamurthy, Ayush district officer Dr Mohammed Iqbal and others were present on the occasion.

Yoga at iconic monuments

The state government had identified 75 historical monuments in the state for performing Yoga as a part of the International Day of Yoga. Accordingly, mass Yoga Asanas were performed at the 1,000 Pillar Basadi in Moodbidri by the district administration in association with Sri Patanjali Yoga Shikshana Samithi (SPYSS).

Jain Mutt seer Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Panditacharya inaugurated the Yoga Day. More than 2,000 participants took part in it. In spite of the downpour on Monday night, people performed Yoga on the premises of the Basadi enthusiastically. Sumana Hosabettu and a team of practitioners performed Yoga Asanas on the guidelines issued by Ayush department.

After performing mass Yoga, the yoga practitioners walked from Basadi till Swaraj Maidan to create awareness on Yoga. Later, they visited Naravi Sooryanarayana Temple and surrounding areas. After the Yoga Day programme, the surroundings of Basadi were cleaned.

A Yoga programme to promote 'Yoga for Humanity’ was conducted by the river side in Sultan Bathery, Mangaluru on Monday. Sultan Bathery was one of the 75 historical and iconic monumental locations identified by the Government as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

Tourism Department Deputy Director Manakya spoke about the importance of Yoga. Dr Sahana Rai, Department of Ayush spoke about the need to inculcate Yoga in everyday life and the ways to do it.