Mega event held in Hyderabad to mark countdown to International Day of Yoga

Thousands of people from all walks of life took part in the 'Yoga Utsav' organised at Hyderabad on Friday to mark the 25-day countdown to International Day of Yoga, an official statement said.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Ayush with active support from Telangana government.

The event was aimed at creating awareness about various dimensions of Yoga and its ability to enrich human lives, it said.

Telengana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was the chief guest on the occasion. Union Minister for Ayush, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, Tourism and Culture minister G Kishan Reddy were among those who took part in the event, the Ayush ministry statement said.

The event was conducted by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) under the ministry and over 10,000 yoga enthusiasts performed the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP), the statement claimed.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, "We must celebrate our rich heritage by making Yoga a part of our lives. It enriches our health and mind."

He said the success of Friday's event will give further momentum towards the 8th International Day of Yoga on June 21 in Mysuru where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the elaborate celebrations of Yoga by enthusiasts and practitioners across the world.

The minister said the idea behind this event is to encourage people to take up yoga so that they can enrich their quality of life, the statement said.

Sonowal also announced the 'Guardian Ring' under which yoga celebrations taking place across the world will be relayed throughout the Yoga day. Every year, the missions abroad organise yoga activities on International Day of Yoga.

"The 'Guardian Ring' activity will string together the feed from different Missions. The streaming will be initiated from Japan - the land of the rising Sun - at 6 AM local time and then move westward.

"As and when the sun rises, streaming will be done from other countries. There will be live telecast on DD India. 'The Guardian Ring' underlines 'One Sun, One Earth' concept and showcases the unification power of yoga," Sonowal said.

As part the run-up events, around 25 crores people will join these 'Yoga Utsavs' at 75 iconic places across India as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the minister said.

The Yoga Utsav will be organised at five archaeological sites -- Rakhigari (Haryana), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Sivasagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu)), the statement said.

The eight edition of International Day of Yoga is being promoted through multiple programmes by the Ministry to take the message of Yoga across the world to a wider audience.

All the ministries of the government, defence forces and other uniformed service organisations are working together to make this movement towards wellness through Yoga a grand success.

In order to bring everyone within the ambit of this movement, the Ministry of Ayush is planning to engage with all the Gram Panchayats across the length and breadth of the country, the statement said.