Villages in focus for Yoga Day celebrations

PTI, May 23, 2023, 7:12 PM IST

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New Delhi: The Centre focusses on taking International Yoga Day celebrations to ”each and every village” and has asked states and Union territories to hold related activities at the panchayat level, government sources said on Tuesday.

The 9th edition of International Day of Yoga, to be celebrated on June 21, endeavours to connect with the larger global community as India’s G20 presidency theme ”One World, One Health” resonates with the principle of ”Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.

At the same time, the focus is on taking yoga to each and every village in India through active participation of panchayati raj institutions and gram sabhas, they said.

While the Ayush Ministry remains the nodal ministry for International Yoga Day events, the sources said, the Panchayati Raj Ministry will play a key role this time as the government focuses on taking yoga to ”each and every village”.

A circular, along with an advisory, was issued by the Ayush Ministry and the Panchayati Raj Ministry on May 22 on the Yoga Day celebrations.

The advisory issued to the panchayati raj departments in states and Union territories called for ensuring that Yoga Day reaches ”every town and every village of the country” and promote its domestic theme.

This year’s global theme of Yoga Day is ”Yoga for One World” and domestic theme is ”Har Ghar Aangan Yoga”, which means yoga in the courtyard of every house.

The Centre asked states and Union territories to hold Yoga Day activities at the panchayat level and identify a gram panchayat or a cluster of gram panchayats for setting up ”Ayush Gram” or ”Sampoorn Yoga Gram” and intimate it to the Panchayati Raj Ministry by May 25.

According to the advisory, mass yoga sessions with ”maximum participation” have to be organised at strategic locations and near ”amrit sarovars” — water bodies that have been recently rejuvenated under a central scheme.

”Observe IDY from desert to forest, river to sea, village to industry…anganwadi to old age home…,” the advisory stated.

It stated that each district magistrate may be directed to organise a countdown event by holding a mass demonstration following the common yoga protocol at the district headquarters.

States and UTs have also been asked to put up Yoga Day banners and posters, including those with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s quotes on yoga, at all public institutions such as hospitals, health and wellness centres, police stations, bus stations, and offices of panchayat, municipality, corporation and taluk.

Workshops and online training programmes will be held, and NGOs, resident welfare associations and such bodies will be roped in for promoting yoga as an intangible cultural heritage.

The UN General Assembly had declared June 21 as International Yoga Day following a resolution moved by India and co-sponsored by a large number of nations. The first International Yoga Day was observed on June 21, 2015.