Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the International Yoga Festival held at Yoga Bharat Ghat in Rishikesh on Wednesday.
While addressing the program, the Chief Minister said that Devbhoomi Uttarakhand is not only the cultural capital of the country but also the excellent centre of yoga and wellness. Therefore, the state government is continuously working to develop yoga and wellness centres in the state. Yoga is the oldest tradition of our state. Through Yoga, the people of Uttarakhand have got new identities abroad. The Chief Minister said, "It is our good fortune that in this International Yoga Festival, we have the guidance of the respected Yogacharya Swami Shivanand ji, honoured with Padmashree and Rajinikanth ji."
"While visitors get a chance to learn the nuances of yoga, meditation and pranayama on one hand, they also find free solutions to their problems through pulse tests and Ayurveda camps," he added. "We do not have to take yoga as extra work, we have to know yoga, we have to live yoga, we have to get yoga and also adopt yoga," he stressed.
"Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is giving a message of yoga, in such a way the importance of the International Yoga Festival increases," he further stated.
The Chief Minister said that the natural beauty of Rishikesh is such that people come to enjoy nature here and during the Yoga Festival, this beauty and enjoyment touch its peak. Today, "our Rishikesh is called the international capital of yoga in the entire world, it is a matter of great pride for all of us."
He said that the yoga energy which has been nurtured by the spiritual centres of India like Rishikesh, the yoga energy is giving direction to world health. Today yoga is becoming a mutual basis of global cooperation.
The Chief Minister said that he has the full belief that the meaningful discussion of sessions organized in this festival will inspire the government to work more in the field of yoga.
He said that our double engine of Uttarakhand in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuously working to fulfil its options of Uttarakhand to fulfil their options of making the country's best state. Today, when our state is identified as the joy of yoga and spirituality, then we all have the responsibility to provide excellence to this identity.
The Chief Minister said that there is a wide preparation for the upcoming four Dham Yatra. Despite all the challenges last time, more than 50 lakh pilgrims came to Devabhoomi. This time, 1.51 lakh has been registered and GMVN has received 4 crore bookings, he added. On this occasion, the Chief Minister honoured Padmashree Swami Shivanand. While Padmashree Rajinikanth was honoured by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj. On this occasion, Chief Minister also joined Ganga Aarti, he wished for the prosperity of the state. After this, the Chief Minister also observed the attractive drone show based on yoga. —ANI