9 hours ago
Yoga helps in reducing mental stress: Minister
Visakhapatnam: Several yoga events were conducted across the north coastal Andhra Pradesh region on Tuesday, in the run up to the International Yoga Day (IYD) event scheduled for June 21 in Visakhapatnam.
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These events were a part of the state-wide Yogandhra initiative aimed at promoting yoga for mental peace, health benefits, and holistic well-being. Prime minister Narendra Modi will attend the IYD event in Visakhapatnam as the chief guest.
In Parvathipuram-Manyam district, state minister G Sandhyarani participated in a Yoga event held near the Yenugula Konda (Elephant Hill) at Vengalaraya Sagaram in Makkuva mandal.
Alongside district officials, she performed yoga asanas and released colourful balloons as a symbolic invitation for the larger public to join the IYD celebrations. The minister spoke about the importance of yoga in reducing mental stress, controlling lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes, and fostering peace.
"About 28,000 students from the district have been fully trained in yoga and will perform 108 Surya Namaskars in front of the Prime Minister," the minister said.
Meanwhile, Parvathipuram-Manyam collector, A Shyam Prasad, highlighted that holding yoga sessions in scenic, less-known tourist spots like Yenugula Konda would help promote tourism along with wellness.
In Vizianagaram, collector Dr BR Ambedkar announced that yoga demonstrations would be held at around 5,555 venues, involving approximately 8.82 lakh people. "To support the PM's event in Visakhapatnam, about 30,000 participants, half of them students, would be transported by 660 buses," said Dr Ambedkar.
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The administration detailed strict logistical arrangements, including early morning departures, designated liaison officers for each bus, and support for hygiene facilities along the travel routes.
A video conference was held with district and mandal officials to ensure smooth coordination of transport and event execution.
In Srikakulam district, a yoga session took place at the historic Arasavilli Sri Suryanarayana Swami Temple premises, supervised by renowned yoga guru Pandranki Muralikrishna and guided by yoga experts.
The event included cultural programmes such as dance performances by students of Neeraja Subrahmanyam, blending spirituality and art. District revenue officer Venkateswara Rao called for thorough readiness for the event.
Around 20,000 people from Srikakulam are expected to attend the IYD programme in Visakhapatnam, while about 3,000 will take part locally at the 80-feet road or Arts College premises, where yoga training and demonstrations will be held under the guidance of various health and tourism officers.
