Gandhinagar, June 21 (IANS). International Yoga Day was celebrated on a large scale in Gujarat on Sunday. In this, ministers, public representatives, officials, students and citizens participated in the mass yoga session and stressed the need to make yoga a regular part of everyday life instead of doing it annually.
The 12th International Yoga Day was celebrated in Porbandar on the sea shore of the city. Where people gathered amid the morning breeze and the view of the Arabian Sea.
State Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia performed yoga along with people, yoga practitioners and government officials.
Addressing the people, Modhwadia said that due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the world has been successful in connecting with the ancient practice of yoga.
Referring to the United Nations recognizing June 21 as ‘International Yoga Day’, he said that this success is a matter of pride for the country.
Modhwadia said that generations will keep changing, but the country will always remember Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving global recognition to India’s age-old yoga tradition.
He described Yoga as an important part of India’s cultural heritage and said that it helps in the overall development of body, mind and soul.
The Minister appealed to the people not to limit Yoga to just one day’s celebration. He said that we should not limit Yoga to just one day’s celebration, it should be made an essential part of our everyday life.
People attending the Porbandar event also watched the live broadcast of the program of the Prime Minister and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Elected representatives, district officials, Coast Guard and Navy officials and local people participated in the programme.
In Gandhinagar, Gujarat State Yoga Board and Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation organized a special yoga program based on the theme Yoga for Healthy Ageing, at the Central Vista Garden.
Minister of State for Finance Kamlesh Patel participated in the event and emphasized the role of yoga in preventive healthcare.
He said that since India’s proposal for International Yoga Day was approved by the United Nations in 2014, yoga as an exercise has become a global lifestyle movement. Regular practice can help maintain long-term physical and mental health.
He said that health insurance pays the hospital bills when one falls ill, whereas yoga is a daily premium which keeps diseases away.
She encouraged people, especially women with household responsibilities, to incorporate simple yoga practices into their daily routine whenever possible.
Kamlesh Patel said that just as smartphones need to be charged daily, similarly yoga is a powerful charger for the body and mind.
He also described Pranayam as a natural way to support respiratory health.
–IANS
DKM/PM