CURATED BY – UMESH KUSHWAHA | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Chitrakoot, On the occasion of International Yoga Day, a huge yoga program was concluded as an innovation at Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya University today. On this occasion, saints, mahatmas, mahants, officials, workers of government, semi-government, non-government, development, educational institutions working in Chitrakoot area, administration and residents of Chitrakoot region together performed a novel demonstration of group yoga practice.

More than two thousand people participated in this huge yoga program. Abhay Mahajan, organization secretary of Deendayal Soch Sansthan and member of the management board of Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya University, was the main organizer of this special event. In this yoga program conducted under the institutional leadership of Gramodaya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Bharat Mishra, the participants practiced Sandhi Yoga, Om pronunciation, Asanas, Surya Namaskar Pranayama, Sankalp etc. with full enthusiasm and yoga discipline. The program was inaugurated by garlanding and lighting of lamps on the oil painting of Bharat Mata on the Yogasana stage built in the sports complex by Mahant Ram Ji Das of Santoshi Akhara, Mahant Divya Jeevandas of Digambar Akhara, Mahant Sita Sharan Das of Janaki Mahal, Head of Gayatri Shaktipeeth Dr. Ramnarayan Shastri, Organization Secretary of Deendayal Shodh Sansthan Abhay Mahajan, Chief Trustee of Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust Dr. VK Jain, CMO Vishal Singh and Registrar Neerja Namdev.

After that, Yoga Teacher of Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust Dr. Tushar Kant Shastri conducted Yoga, Asanas, Pranayam. Dashrath Prajapati of Deen Dayal Shodh Sansthan conducted Surya Namaskar. In the series of activities completed, Sandhi Yoga, Sandhi Chalana Kriya, Tadasana Vrikshasana, Trikonasana, Bhadrasana, Bhujangasana Setubandha Asana, Pawanmuktasana, Shava Asana were conducted. After Surya Namaskar practice, Pranayama, Anulom Vilom, Kapal Bhati, Bhramari Pranayama were practiced. During the practice, the yoga instructors, who were directing from the main stage, were also describing the benefits and precautions of Asanas, Pranayama, Surya Namaskar to the practitioners during their discipline and guidance address. The collective resolution of Yoga for self, Yoga for society was also read out.

On this occasion, the Vice Chancellor of Gramodaya University, Prof. Bharat Mishra, while welcoming the people who had come for the collective yoga program, said that it is a matter of happiness that in accordance with the spirit of the founder Chancellor of this university, Bharat Ratna Rashtra Rishi Nana Ji Deshmukh, the people of Chitrakoot have gathered for yoga practice in Gramodaya University. Gramodaya University has been continuously conducting academic activities of yoga since its establishment. Vice Chancellor Prof. Mishra, while discussing the academic development of Gramodaya University, highlighted the innovations conducted by the university and its importance at the national and international level.

Dr VK Jain, Chief Trustee of Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust said that the gathering of the institutions of Chitrakoot together is a yoga in itself. Yoga is a special medium for harmonious work coordination between the individual and the society. By adopting yoga in one's daily routine, a person can become more dynamic. Yoga can bring one closer to nature and spirituality. Explaining from a medical point of view, Dr VK Jain propounded the importance of yoga in health.

Mahant Shriram Ji Das of Santoshi Akhara, in his blessings, explained the importance of yoga in human life and appealed to include it in the daily routine. Presenting many examples of the benefits of yoga, he said that through yoga, a person can make a meaningful contribution to his and the society's development.

Organizing Secretary of Deendayal Shodh Sansthan, Abhay Mahajan, who was the mastermind of the mass yoga program, explained the importance of International Yoga Day being celebrated all over the world and highlighted the rationale behind this special mass yoga program being organized in Chitrakoot and said that it is a matter of great happiness that all the organizations and people of Chitrakoot are working together to give reality to the resolution of Bharat Ratna Rashtra Rishi Nana Ji. He described the International Yoga Day program organized on 21st June and the Chitrakoot Gaurav program on Ramnavami as a successful step in the efforts to develop the culture of working together in Chitrakoot. In the middle of the program, people went to the selfie point made at Gram Darshan and got their photos clicked with great enthusiasm. On this occasion, the Dean, Head of Department, Section Head, Director, Teachers, Officers, Employees, Researchers and Students of Gramodaya University along with other dignitaries like Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust, Women's Committee President Mrs. Usha Jain, Rajendra Mishra, senior citizen Ram Narayan Soni, P.L. Awasthi, Prabal Shrivastava, Dr. Ashwini Awasthi etc were present in large numbers.