Haryana celebrates 11th International Yoga Day with grand festivities and initiatives
KURUKSHETRA: Haryana marked the 11th
International Yoga Day
with a display of unity, wellness, and cultural pride. The main state-level event took place at the sacred Brahmasarovar in Kurukshetra, where over '1 lakh participants' performed yoga together, sending a message of holistic health and harmony to the world.
Across all 22 districts and 121 blocks of the state, more than 20 lakh citizens participated in yoga events, transforming the day into a people's festival, said an official.
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister for AYUSH Kumari Aarti Singh Rao, Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, yoga master
Swami Ramdev
, and other dignitaries inaugurated the event by lighting ceremonial lamps and offering flowers to Lord Dhanvantari.
Swami Ramdev led the yoga session, while attendees listened to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's address broadcast live from Visakhapatnam.
Key Announcements by CM Nayab Saini
CM Saini made several announcements to institutionalize and expand the reach of yoga in Haryana:
Yoga Authors Incentive Scheme: To encourage research in yoga, this new scheme will honor outstanding writers annually across state universities.
100 New Yoga and Exercise Halls: To be established this fiscal year, adding to the existing 883 across the state.
International Meditation Centre: A large meditation hall will be built at Shri Krishna AYUSH University in Kurukshetra.
Yoga Credit System
in Schools: All government schools will adopt a credit-based evaluation system for students' yoga performance.
Uniform Yoga Curriculum: To be introduced in all universities and colleges in Haryana.
Recognition for Yoga and Naturopathy: These subjects will now be officially included under the AYUSH system, and practitioners will be granted government registration.
Yoga as a Sport: The state will appoint experienced coaches to train athletes for national and international competitions. Recruitment of 40 yoga teachers in the sports department will begin soon.
5-Minute Yoga Breaks in Government Offices: To promote a stress-free work environment, daily yoga breaks will be implemented immediately in all state government offices.
CM Saini credited PM Modi for reviving and internationalizing India's ancient yoga heritage. 'Through visionary initiatives like 'Yoga ke saath khelega Bharat, khilega Bharat' and 'Yoga ki dose, aadha ghanta roz', he has inspired a global movement,' he said.
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The CM also lauded Swami Ramdev for connecting millions with traditional yoga, emphasizing the year's global theme: 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health.'
Since May 27, yoga-related programs had been taking place across Haryana, involving administrators, civil servants, religious groups, and the public. On Yoga Day, the event was elevated with the release of three booklets on Swami Ramdev's life and journey, along with a state yoga protocol manual published by the Haryana Yoga Commission.
The Forest Department contributed by distributing 1 lakh saplings to yoga practitioners, promoting both health and environmental sustainability.
Swami Ramdev emphasized that yoga is not just exercise but the foundation of life, devotion, nature, and culture. He praised PM Modi for pushing the UN to declare June 21 as International Yoga Day, a proposal that originally received backing from 177 countries and is now celebrated in over 200.
Jaideep Arya, Chairperson of Haryana Yoga Commission, anchored the event. CM Saini also honored various community leaders and contributors, including Kurukshetra DC Neha Singh, SP Nitish Aggarwal, Kurukshetra University VC Prof Som Nath Sachdeva and others, with mementos.
In closing, CM Saini reaffirmed that yoga is a science of life, fostering health, peace, and happiness. 'Let us all make yoga a part of our daily lives,' he urged, echoing the timeless wisdom: 'Do yoga daily, stay healthy always.'
Controversial
Dera Sacha Sauda
representatives honoured by CM Haryana
Apart from honouring several social organisations including Dera Radha Soami, Sant Nirankari Mission, Haryana CM Saini also honoured the representatives of controversial Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) (led by rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim) at stage in the presence of Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Haryana cabinet minister Arti Rao Singh and Swami Ramdev, for their contribution in promoting Yoga and participation.
DSS was allotted two sectors (13 and 14) at Brahamsarovar in Kurukshetra, to perform Yoga.
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