New York: The preparation is underway at Times Square ahead of International Yoga Day on Wednesday, with the aim to bring in the participation of more and more people in the event.
Notably, this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the International Day of Yoga celebration at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Speaking to ANI, Douglass Stewart, the co-founder of Yoga in Times Square said, "Yoga has its foundation in India. The principles have been around for thousands of years. It is interesting that the Western culture has started to adapt".
He said that Times Square has been organising the event for the last 20 years, and around 8000 people are expected at the event.
"Tomorrow is a big day. You can see the preparations. Barricades are being put in place, sponsors area is getting ready, where those who support us will display their products. The crew is getting ready for the big event tomorrow. We are sending out registrations to people to sign up for the event. We are expecting around 8,000 people this year," he said.
Stewart added, "We launched the event in 2003. Throughout the years, we have been looking at how can we bring more and more people for this. Over the years, so many different people were interested in the event and they participated. International Yoga Day has launched nine years ago. And we are happy that Prime Minister Modi is supporting us as well.
The co-founder of yoga at Times Square further said that there are 15 million people practising yoga in the US, which is a significant number, meaning that more and more people are getting aware of the process.
"Tomorrow, we start the class at 7:30 in the morning, and then we have hourly classes ending at 7:30 pm, during sunset. We will start the day with some sun salutation, and moving so that the people are oriented through the day. That's how the day will line up, 7 classes during the day," he said. Stewart further said, "Each teacher will decide their poses. Depending on which school you belong to, your lineage will depend. For example, there are 500 poses and there are 24 poses (in different schools). I will move through 15 poses during the day. So that, you get to absorb what you are generating and appreciate the sun. I call, it would be a lava-like class, very small and methodical".
Vice President of Communications, Times Square Alliance, TJ Witham said that they have been undertaking preparations for months.
"We have been working on this for months, making sure that local New Yorkers and tourists are known to visit the place. So that the people are aware in advance and can register for any classes. We have been setting up our main stage, and various satellite stages, so that one main teacher from the main stage, his voice can echo across the whole Square," he said. Witham added, "We are expecting around 8000 people, these many have registered. Of course, there are 24 hours left, before people can still register. There is a relationship between June 21 and yoga. We have been celebrating the day for 20 years. The day has been recognised as the International Day of Yoga. It is a matter of great pride and great synergy. It connects Times Square with the rest of the world".
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. In his 2014 UN address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world. —ANI
