PM Participates in Mega Event at Rajpath: LG gives call to practise yoga for better health & well being
Port Blair, June 21: Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on Sunday led the first International Yoga Day celebrations in the country, defining yoga as a means to train the human mind to begin a new era of peace and harmony. The Prime Minister, who practised 'asanas' along with nearly 35,000 participants during a mega event at Rajpath, also thanked the United Nations and the countries which backed the resolution by India to mark June 21 as International Yoga Day. The Prime Minister said the programme is aimed at benefiting the people by making them both physically and mentally healthy. It seeks to make a tension-free world and spread the message of 'Sadbhavana' (harmony), he said. The United Nations had in December last year declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. The proposal had been mooted by the Prime Minister during his first address to the UN General Assembly in September last year.
International Day of Yoga was also celebrated in a befitting manner and with great enthusiasm in the Union Territory of A&N Islands to promote wellness and health. The Lt Governor, Lt Gen A K Singh (Retd), participated in the State level celebrations. He visited Tagore Govt. College of Education (TGCE), Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV), Govt Girls Senior Secondary School and Multipurpose Hall at Netaji Stadium and participated in the yoga demonstrations by practicing some asanas at each venue.
The Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Chief Secretary and people from all walks of life including large number of school children took part in the yoga demonstrations.
In his brief address on the occasion, the Lt Governor congratulated the people of the Islands on the occasion of International Yoga Day. He stated that yoga is being practiced since thousands of year in India but for the first time it has been recognized by the United Nations. With the concerted effort of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the UN General Assembly adopted an India led resolution, declaring June 21 as International Yoga Day, he added.
The Lt Governor further stated that yoga promotes holistic health care and general well being of a person. It embodies unity of the body and mind and immensely benefits an individual if performed on regular basis, he said and wished the participants to practice yoga on a regular basis. Stating that yoga brings harmony in all walks of life, he urged the people to practice yoga in their day to day life to keep themselves healthy and robust.
Yoga demonstrations and practise were also held in various centers set up across the Islands. Thousands of people, including school children and ordinary folk enthusiastically participated in the yoga exercises. About 20 centers were selected for the yoga demonstrations in Municipal areas and rural South Andaman. These included community halls at Haddo, Shadipur, Anarkali, Prothrapur, Buniyadabad, Delanipur, Ograbraj, Manglutan, Bambooflat, Garacharama and Panchayat halls at Wimberlygunj and Ferrargunj. Apart from these places, yoga demonstrations were also held at Rama Krishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Khetan Kalyan Mandapam, Junglighat and Saraswati Shishu Mandir.
Similarly, the Yoga Day was also widely participated in and celebrated in N&M Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands. The islanders once again proved that whatever they do, they do so with gusto and passion.