As the fifth edition of International Yoga Day kicked off on Friday, several programmes were organized across Pir Panchal and Chenab Valley.
In the programmes, government authorities, politicalparties, social organisations, educational institutions, security forces and alarge number of people participated.
At Rajouri district headquarter, a yoga session was held atDak Bungalow ground. Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, and other seniorgovernment officers were present on the occasion.
Similarly, in Government Post Graduate College, Rajouri, inarmy camps and at other places, similar programmes were held.
In Poonch district, the main programme was held at Poonchdistrict headquarter. Deputy Commissioner, Rahul Yadav, Senior Superintendentof Police, Ramesh Angral, and hundreds of other officials and locals werepresent.
At Mendhar, Bhimber Gali brigade of Army also organised ayoga session, while in Government Degree College Poonch and Mendhar also, yogasessions were held.
In Bhaderwah, Rashtriya Rifles, in collaboration withBhaderwah University Campus, organised a massive yoga session, wherein hundredsof students, Army personnel and locals participated.
The participants wereencouraged to practice yoga as a way of living.
“Practicing yoga in such an environment has helped thesoldiers to combat various diseases, such as High Altitude Sickness, Hypoxia,Pulmonary Odema and the Psychological stresses of isolation and fatigue,” theOfficiating Commanding Officer, RR Bhaderwah, said.
“Respiratory adaptations of Pranayama help the soldiers inadapting to the environment in high altitude areas. By practicing a few minutesof Pranayama, gentle asanas and meditation, many of us have testified to thephysical and mental benefits of yoga,” he said.
In an encouraging sign for the fairer sex, a large number ofgirl students and women folk from different walks of life also converged at thevenue to participate in the yoga session.
“In today’s scenario, women folk are more vulnerable tostress, strain and mental fatigue and yoga can surely make a difference,”Aamira, a women participant from Pasri, Bhaderwah, said.
The Doda district administration, under the supervision ofDeputy Commissioner, Sagar Dattaray Doifode, also organised an early morningyoga session at Lake View Resort, Gatha.
At Kishtwar, the programme was organized by Department ofYouth Services and Sports in collaboration with Department of Indian System ofMedicines at Chowgan Ground.
District Development Commissioner, Angrez Singh Rana, SeniorSuperintendent of Police, Shakti Kumar Pathak, Additional Deputy Commissioner,Pawan Parihar, ACD Anil Kumar Chandail, DYSSO Jaffer Haider, CEO, Kuldeep KumarSharma, Nodal Officer Ayush Dr Tariq Hussain, Nodal Officer ISM Dr Rajesh KumarBhagat, besides scores of people were present on the occasion.
At Ramban, the programmes was organised by the Department ofAYUSH in collaboration with the departments of School Education and YouthServices and Sports in the premises of Government Higher Secondary School.
Hundreds of students and several district officers,including Chief Education Officer, Abdul Hamid Fani, District Nodal Officer,AYUSH, Dr Masood Iqbal Zargar, EO, MC, Ravinder Sharma, DYSSO, Sukhdev Kumar,Senior lecturer, Ranjay Kumar participated in the event.
Pertinently, the first International Day of Yoga wasobserved across the world on June 21, 2015, when over 30,000 people, includingPrime Minister Narendra Modi, performed yoga at Rajpath in New Delhi.