Haryana to organise International Yoga Day: CM

PANCHKULA: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatar today said that International Yoga Day would be organised "successfully" on June 21 in the state and 1,000 'vyayam shalas' would be opened in rural areas in the first phase to take yoga to each individual.

The chief minister, who was speaking after inaugurating the two-day 'Yoga Prashikshan Shivar' organised jointly by Haryana AYUSH Department and Sports and Youth Affairs here, said that coaches would be appointed in these 'vyayam shalas' to impart training to the youth.

The 'Yoga Prashikshan Shivar' would also be organised tomorrow early in the morning at the same place, he said.

The 'Yoga Prashikshan Shivar' which has been organised under the guidance of brand ammbassador of Haryana for Yoga and Ayurveda Baba Ramdev was attended by Ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court and representatives of various media houses, officials said.

On this occasion, the chief minister also performed various 'yog asanas' enthusiastically.

He said, "We should not confine only to the celebrations of 'International Yoga Day' but also take Yoga further to ensure mental, spiritual and physical well-being of the people.

"Though facilities of parks are available in almost every town and city to carry out physical exercise, yet there is a need to provide similar facilities in villages to revive our old sports traditions like yoga, wrestling and Kabbadi".

Therefore, keeping this in view, the government has decided to open 1,000 'vyayam shalas' in the villages in the first phase. Each vyayam shala would be set up over an area of two acres of land to be provided by the village panchayat, he added.

While thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister said that because of the efforts made by him, Yoga today got recognition world-wide as United Nations Organization has decided to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day.