As many as 71,000 students became part of a genuine cause of setting a new Guinness record through Yoga, during the programme ‘Yoga for Future’ organised by Shanthivana Trust, Ujire and Department of Public Instructions, Government of Karnataka, with 25,600 students in 10 centres in Dakshina Kannada and 44,269 students in 37 centers in Udupi districts, performing Yoga at the same time.
In Mangalore, the programme was held at the grounds of Sharada Vidyalaya. At 9.30 am, a conch was blown to mark the beginning of the largest yoga class. Omkar was chanted, followed by an all-religion prayer. Demonstration and light exercises were done as a warm up.
A huge sound signalled the countdown and at 10 am sharp, the mass yoga programme started with Suryanamaskara, followed by various yoga postures like Trikonasana, Shashankasana, Dhanurasana and Makarasana and Shavasana. The mass yoga ended exactly at 10.31 am.
A total of 1,828 students took part in Mangalore, which included 1,678 students from Sharada Vidyalaya and Pre University College. Other students were from Zilla Panchayat Model Primary School, Karambaru; Government Primary School, Malali; Government Primary School Deralakatte; Government Primary and High School, Bokkapatna; Madhusudhan Kushe Pre University College, Attavar; Government High School of Vamanjoor, Jokatte and Moodushedde.
Health Minister U T Khader, ADC K A Dayanand, AC Dr R Prashanth, DDPI Moses Jayashekhar and Tahshildar K Mohan Rao separately declared the completion of the attempt. The previous Guinness record in mass Yoga was set by Gwaliar in 2005, where 29,000 people participated.
In a stage function held prior to the mass Yoga performance, Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader said that it is essential to have a young generation with sound body and sound mind, in order to fulfill the dream of India securing the first position in the world. Yoga can cure the diseases, which cannot be cured with medication. Yoga is complimentary towards building a healthy nation, he added.
Raksha, a PU student who participated in the mass yoga said that it was a nice experience to be a part of an attempt for Guinness record. “For the programme, we practiced yoga since last Monday,” she added.
Sharada PU College Principal Dr Leela Upadhyaya, Sharada Vidyalaya Principal Sunitha Madi, Shanthivana Trust Medical Officer Dr Prashanth Shetty, Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (Dakshina Kannada) Director Sampath Kumar and Sharada Vidyalaya President M B Puranik were present.
In Udupi
A total of 44,269 students assembled in as many as 37 centers in the district to be part of the largest yoga class ‘ Yoga for future‘.
A total of 11,288 students participated in seven centers. In Byndoor zone, 3,358 students in three centers took part in the largest Yoga class, while in Kundapur 13,538 students took part in 14 centers, in Brahmavar, 7,396 students practiced Yoga in six centers, in Udupi 8,689 students participated in seven centers and in Karkala, 2,344 students performed Yoga in Mahatma Ghandi Memorial College premises. Udupi Government PU College Principal Radhamani and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial PU College Principal Malati Devi were present.
The District in-charge minister and Minister for Urban development Vinay Kumar Sorake who flagged off the event said that the event is held all over the erstwhile district. He said that the event is a confidence-building measure among students. The minister hoped that the event will find recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The entire event was videographed with two officials monitoring the event. In each centre, a group of 50 students was monitored by a teacher.
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