Uttar Pradesh, India is celebrating the International Yoga Day by organizing sessions across all 12,044 Amrit Sarovars in the state. The Amrit Sarovars have been cleaned and spruced up for the event, with the area around these ponds being developed as Yoga centers. The state government has directed that these ponds should also serve as rural tourism hubs.
The Yoga sessions are being held at the Amrit Sarovar banks, open-air gyms, and parks. Members of women self-help groups, MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) workers, village bodies’ members and villagers, teachers, and the village schools are briefing participants about the benefits of Yoga.
As part of the celebration of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (75 years of India’s Independence), the Amrit Sarovar Mission aims to rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district across the country. The mission plans to create 50,000 water bodies that span an area of about an acre or more and, thus, contribute to the preservation and enhancement of water resources.
To highlight the celebrations, the state government has asked officials to take photographs of the Yoga Day events and post them on social media. Participants must be encouraged to take photographs under the ‘Selfie with Yoga’ (Amrit Sarovars) program.
Yoga sessions have proven to be beneficial to body and mind, especially in stressful times. This ancient practice of India has gained immense popularity worldwide, with people embracing it as a way of life. Therefore, promoting it and celebrating it on International Yoga Day is a significant step towards creating more awareness around the practice.
