The Ministry of AYUSH and the Government of Karnataka organised the main event of 8th edition of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2022 at Mysuru Palace, Mysuru. Prime Minister led the mass yoga demonstration at Mysuru Palace, along with more than 15,000 participants, including over 200 special physically-challenged children, 100 orphaned children, 15 transgenders, HIV-positive people and ASHA workers.
Thaawarchand Gehlot, Governor, Karnataka; Basavaraj S Bommai, Chief Minister, Karnataka, Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for AYUSH, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, officials of Ministry of AYUSH and the Government of Karnataka and other dignitaries also took part in the mass yoga demonstration.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that this year’s theme aptly portrays how yoga served humanity in alleviating suffering during COVID-19 pandemic. Today, yoga is becoming a basis for global cooperation and is providing a belief of a healthy life to mankind. He added that we see that yoga has come out of the households and has spread all over the world and this is a picture of spiritual realisation, and that of natural and shared human consciousness, especially in the last two years of an unprecedented pandemic.
The Prime Minister said that today is the time to realise the infinite possibilities associated with yoga. Today, our youth are coming in large numbers with new ideas in the field of yoga. Ministry of AYUSH’s Startup Yoga Challenge is bringing together new ideas and innovation which is inspiring this generation.
Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said that it is Prime Minister’s vision to bring world peace and harmony by focussing on the health and well-being of individuals, communities, nations and the world as a whole. He said that yoga has brought the world together, reshaping the global values, and is bringing different healthcare systems closer.
The minister further said that the ministry of AYUSH has designed unique programmes to include various sections of the society to celebrate health and heterogeneity. Sonowal further informed that the ministry has taken various initiatives to ensure advancement in the health and well-being of the people through yoga.
This year, International Day of Yoga 2022 saw many new initiatives, the ‘Guardian Ring’ programme, which is a collaborative exercise among 79 countries and the United Nations (UN) organisations, along with Indian missions abroad to illustrate yoga’s unifying power that surpasses national boundaries. Integrating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav with celebrations of 8th IDY, mass yoga demonstrations were organised at 75 iconic locations across the country under the leadership of 75 union ministers.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the digital yoga exhibition, which is showcasing the latest technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) to project the history and wisdom of yoga.