The week long International Yoga Festival (IYF) 2025 at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, ended on a note of colorful Holi festival and music soaked evenings of famed sufi singer Padma Shri awardees Kailash Kher and percussionist Sivamani.
Nearly 1,500 participants from around 75 countries, along with saints, yogacharya, and global thought leaders, had gathered on the sacred banks of Ganga for a transformative week of yoga, spirituality, and conscious living. Participants and tourists swayed to the tunes of the band Kailasa and soulful renditions by singer, writer and composer Kailash Kher.
Festival Highlights : The Governor of Uttarakhand Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh performed the evening ganga aarti on the concluding day and he himself recited the Mahamarityunjaya mantra explicating its meaning.
The festival also marked colorful holi celebrations wherein yoga guru Baba Ramdev showered floral blessings on Sadhvi Bhagawati on her 54th birthday. He said, “For decades, Parmarth Niketan Ashram has stood as a global beacon of yoga, spiritual wisdom, and environmental stewardship, drawing seekers from across the world. Under the visionary leadership of Swami Chidanand Saraswati, the International Yoga Festival has evolved into a premier global gathering, weaving together the ancient traditions of yoga with modern insights on wellness and transformation. From wisdom talks and guided meditations to cultural performances and eco-conscious initiatives, the festival embodies India’s timeless message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—The World is One Family.”
Plenary session of the International Yoga Festival 2025, titled "The Yoga of Love," brought together an inspiring panel featuring Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Director of the world-famous International Yoga Festival, and Sri Prem Baba. Moderated by Ganga Nandini, senior Yogacharya of Parmarth Niketan, the session explored the transformative power of love as the essence of yoga.
Reflecting on the past seven days of the festival, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati shared, "When you are not in love, you count every minute, but when you are in love, time flows effortlessly. It is the love of yoga that has kept you connected to this path, and it is the love of the Divine that has brought us all.”
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati guided the audience through a simple yet profound reflection, "Close your eyes and think of someone you love- feel that love in your body, your breath. Now, think of someone you struggle with. Notice the shift. A simple thought creates a profound change. We always have the power to choose love, and perhaps it is the most important choice of all. The world will always have ignorance and negativity, but within us, love is always an option. And this is the Yoga of Love."
Emphasizing love as the highest path, Sri Prem Baba shared, "Love is the force that dissolves all barriers and unites us with our true nature. When we learn to love unconditionally, we step into the fullness of our being."
Some inspiring morning sessions on the last day included "Yoga and Children with special needs" by Dr. Nishi Bhatt, a specialist in psychoneurological and pain management disorders, in Satsang Hall, and the Powerful morning sadhna Full Body Flow with Jahnavi Claire Missingham, a globally acclaimed yoga teacher and former choreographer. Meanwhile, Shreya Radhika Lakhani, a Sanskrit scholar and mantra specialist, led "Mantra Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Mantra". Yoga for strengthening musculoskeletal muscles by Radhika Nagrath was appreciated by yoga enthusiasts gathered at Yoga ghat.
A thought-provoking discussion was held "Ahimsa in a Modern World" with Dr. Zach Bush, a renowned physician and educator focused on the microbiome and holistic healing, at Yoga Ghat. The afternoon deepened with "Achara Rasayan" by Dr. Padmanayani, an expert in Ayurveda and Panchakarma, exploring ancient wisdom for modern well-being. Simultaneously, participants embraced stillness through "Heart of Stillness – Yin and Restorative Yoga" with Dasa Das, an internationally recognized yoga teacher known for his unique and dynamic teaching style, concluding with a Themed Sound Bath, offering a deeply healing experience.