The city is all set to host the second International Day of Yoga tomorrow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the celebrations by participating in a mass yoga event at the Capitol Complex.
The function will begin at 6.30 am. It will include a 45-minute yoga demonstration. Around 30,000 people are expected to participate in the event at the Capitol Complex while over 10,000 will perform yoga at 100 different venues in the city.
The emphasis this year will be on the participation of divyangs, youth and people from weaker sections of society. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the mega event. The complex has been divided into eight blocks where 500 master trainers, along with their team members, will perform. Nearly 600 buses will ferry the participants to the venue. As many as 300 pre-fabricated bio-toilets and 30,000 mats are being used for the occasion.
Before the start of the yoga session, the Prime Minister will address the audience after a short speech by Punjab and Haryana Governor-cum-UT Administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki. A theme song for the International Day of Yoga, named “Yog Geet”, has been released this year in addition to a “yoga protocol” of 45 minutes. The International Day of Yoga was organised in India and throughout the world for the first time last year after the United Nations General Assembly, in December 2014, declared June 21 the International Day of Yoga.
Rain plays spoilsport
Rain for around half an hour on Monday afternoon affected the preparations for the yoga day. The carpets got wet, leaving officials worried. The staff started drying the carpets immediately after the rain. However, the possibility of rain on Tuesday has kept them on tenterhooks. The Administration has decided to continue with the function even if it rains.
All World Gayatri Parivar head to share stage with Modi
Dr Pranav Pandya, head of the All World Gayatri Parivar, will share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, besides Punjab and Haryana Governor-cum-UT Administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki, Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar and Speakers of the Punjab and Haryana assemblies. Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Minister of State for AYUSH, and Modi’s yoga guru, Dr HR Nagendra, will also be present on the stage.
