Headlines
Count down begins to a record-breaking International Yoga Day
By
By Ranjana NarayanNew Delhi, June 18
A staggering 37,000 yoga
mats will be spread along Rajpath and the verdant lawns around India
Gate on June 21 Sunday that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi lead
the nation in some early morning yoga - with 192 countries across the
world joining in as the world marks the first International Day of Yoga
in a global endorsement of an ancient Indian discipline.
India
will seek to break a few records on the day, besides of the largest
yoga gathering at a single spot with 37,000 people performing different
yogic asanas or positions. More than 50 diplomats are expected to join
in the yoga on Rajpath that day - another record.
Yoga events
would be observed in 192 of 193 countries across the world on the day -
another record. The only exception being Yemen which has been hit by
civil war.
The UN General Assembly declared June 21 as the
International Day of Yoga following a proposal by Prime Minister Modi
during his speech at the UNGA on September 27 last year. The resolution
for the Yoga Day was cosponsored by 175 of the 193 member nations in a
short period of 75 days. Forty seven of the 56 members of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries too joined as co-sponsors,
in a telling example of the universality of yoga, said an official.
While Pakistan did not co-sponsor it did not object to the resolution
either, he added.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be
travelling to New York on Friday to preside over the headline event at
the UN where 30,000 people are to participate in a mass demonstration of
yoga at Times Square. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to deliver
the keynote address at the start of the day's celebrations at the UN
headquarters.
The mega preparations for the event in the national
capital have begun in right earnest, with Rajpath - the
greenery-flanked avenue in the heart of the capital's government
district that sweeps down from Raisina Hill with the presidential palace
at the crest - cordoned off and a huge stage coming up at the
crossing. All the 150 foreign missions have been given invites for the
event.
Participants, including government officials, members of
the National Cadet Corps and school children, would do the asanas during
the around 35-minute event.
The event, which would begin at around 6 a.m., would also be observed across India.
After
a speech by Prime Minister Modi, the asanas would commence, according
to the Common Yoga Protocol, which has been put together by the AYUSH
ministry, which is organizing the celebration along with the ministry of
external affairs.
At the events held across the world, yoga
gurus from established yoga schools would be presiding over the
function, including via web linkup.
The major yoga schools
associated with the event are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living
Foundation, which runs around 150 centres across the world, the Isha
Foundation, the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Institute, Patanjanli International
Yoga Foundation and the Gayatri Pariwar.
All participants would
be required to know the Common Yoga Protocol beforehand and would have
practised the asanas before attending the June 21 event.
The
asanas are divided into different sections, beginning with the loosening
up exercises, like neck bending and body twisting. The second section
of asanas done in Standing Posture comprises six yoga exercises,
including Tadasana or palm tree posture, and Vriksasana or the tree
posture.
The third section is of Sitting Postures, with five
asanas, including Sasankasana, or the hare posture and Vakrasana, or
spinal twist posture. Then comes three Prone Postures, including
Bhujangasana or the Cobra Posture. This is followed by the Supine
Postures, which comprises three asanas, including the difficult
Setubandhasana or the bridge posture, Pavanmuktasana or wind releasing
posture and finally Savasana or the dead body posture. Breathing
exercises like Kapalbhati and Pranayama follow, then a spot of dhyan or
meditation, and finally the Shanti Path.
A two-day international yoga conference will be held in Delhi following the event.
It
is estimated that 250 million people around the world practice yoga,
over 20 million of them in the US. June 21 is also the Summer Solstice
day in the northern hemisphere when the daylight hours are the longest.
(Ranjana Narayan can be contacted at [email protected])