JOIN US Over 2,000 people from various walks of life participated and performed Yoga at PES University on Sunday morning as part of the International Yoga Day celebrations.
Residents of Banashankari 3rd Stage, Mysore Road, college students, parents and members of various Yoga centres, including Sudarshan Yoga, Manasa Yoga Kendra, Vishwabandhu Yoga Trust, Yoga Bharati, Ashwini Ayurdhama, Atreya Ayurdhama, SSYF, Yoga Arogya Centre and Yoga Prapancha and Yogashree participated in the event organised by S-Vyasa University and Karnataka State Yoga Academy.
Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister H N Ananth Kumar, Bangalore South MLA M Krishnappa, Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, PES University Pro-Chancellor Prof D Jawahar, Adamya Chetana chairperson Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, Jayadeva Hospital’s Cardiology professor Vijayalakshmi, S-Vyasa Yoga University Vice Chancellor Dr Ramachandra Bhat and PES University Vice Chancellor Dr KN Balasubramanya Murthy attended.
For a fit mind, body
People from all walks of life performed yoga at the National College Grounds. Schoolchildren, aged, women and yoga experts were seen at the event, organised by the Rashtrotthana Parishat.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Vajubai Rudabhai Vala said: “Yoga helps one keep both the mind and body fit. It also helps one build good character. Baba Ramdev has said that it also helps those with diabetes.” Entire world is aware of the benefits of yoga. India has now gained a reputation worldwide for being the country where yoga originated. Yoga is also the secret behind Modi's perseverance, he added.
National RSS leader Mangesh Bhende said yoga should not be associated with religion. “Many religions came into existence before yoga did. For the common good of mankind, yoga must be practiced,” he added.
Healthy initiative
An initiative taken by one of the schools not only gave Srinivas Rao a motivation to take up Yoga on a regular basis but also turned out to be the best Father’s Day gift for him so far.
Greenwood High at its campus at Varthur Sarjapur Road, on Sunday observed the International Day Yoga. Not only did they have their students roll out the mats but also had their fathers come forward to do the same as they also observed Father’s Day. More than 100 fathers joined the celebration.
Srinivas Rao would have had a week-end like any other but for his seven-year-old daughter, Nikita Sri Bethamamudi persuaded him to join her at her school for the Yoga Day celebration. “She came home on Friday and told me that I had to accompany her to school on Sunday. Eventually, she turned my Yoga teacher and taught me a couple of exercises that she had learnt,” he said.
Competing spirit
Winning the event came in as a pleasant surprise on occasion of Father’s Day for this father-daughter duo. “We were initially taught the exercise. Later we were slowly encouraged to compete. Yoga has been a part my daughter’s curriculum. However, I had not taken it seriously. With the change I experienced today, I wish to continue it on a regular basis,” he added.
The three best father and child pair performing the Asanas were also awarded by the school. The winners were Nikita Sri and Srinivas Rao, Tanvi Devarakonda and Kiran Devarakonda and Arav Bansal and Kulesh Bansal. “We have been following the practise of Yoga in our school curriculum from past few years and give it the same importance like any other subject. We also wish to thank all fathers in extending their full cooperation in making the celebrations a grand success”, said Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High.
NCC cadets perform yoga
As many as 3,000 National Cadet Corps (NCC) gathered at Central College on the occasion of International Day of Yoga. The students were led under by Yoga Guru Srinivasa Murthy and started demonstrations at 7 am.
The NCC directorate of Karnataka and Goa and various other yoga institutes aimed to set a record of sorts along with other NCC directorates in the country to organise the ‘largest ever demonstration of yoga on a single day by a uniformed organisation at multiple venues’. Nearly 10 lakh cadets were expected to participate across 1,900 locations throughout the country. As many as 62,000 cadets from the State were expected to perform yoga across 52 venues. Air Commodore C Rajeev, the Deputy Director General NCC (Karnataka and Goa) remained unavailable for comment.