International yoga festival begins in Rishikesh

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said a yoga camp will be held every weekend in Haridwar during the ongoing Ardhakumbh mela for the benefit of devotees.
Making the announcement after inaugurating a seven-day international yoga festival on the banks of the Ganga at Paramarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, Rawat said a yoga Maha Kumbh will be held every weekend under the guidance of Parmarth Niketan ashram chief Chidanand Saraswati also in Haridwar during ardhakumbh to teach devotees the nuances of the ancient Indian art of physical and spiritual well being.
"I welcome our friends, brothers and sisters from more than 70 countries who have come to Rishikesh to participate in the event," he said.

Although we have a number of nationalities represented today, here on the banks of Mother Ganga, in the lap of the Himalayas, we are merged into the universal nationality of Yoga.
There are two Ganga rivers flowing here - one the actual river flowing next to us, and the other is the Yoga Ganga, the chief minister said.
"We are grateful to Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji who has dedicated his life to yoga for sharing the great teachings and bringing so many people to Rishikesh for this event," he said.

Chidanand Saraswati explained, "Yoga is union. It is not just union of our heads to our knees or our hands to the floor. It is union of the self to the Divine ....

"Uttarakhand is the birthplace of yoga and you are all the chosen ones to be here to imbibe the divine science," he said.
The event in which more than 1000 yoga enthusiasts from 70 countries are participating is being jointly organised by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and Parmarth Niketan.
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"Huge achievement for India. #YOGA as an element has been inscribed in the @UNESCO list of Intangible #CulturalHeritage of the World.
"All 24 Member Countries of IGC supported and it was a unanimous decision," Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma tweeted.
The delegation from India that attended the Intergovernmental Committee Meeting was lead by the country's permanent representative to UNESCO, Ruchira Kamboj, and Cutlure Ministry Joint Secretary M L Srivastava, the Ministry said in a release.

"Never ever happened before! After #Yoga inscription, entire conference does Yogic breathing," Kamboj tweeted.
Yoga has become the 13th intangible cultural heritage from the country that has been listed with UNESCO so far.
Other intangible cultural heritage that has been listed from India include the Chhau dance (inscribed in 2010), the Buddhist chanting of Ladakh (2012), Sankirtana - the ritual singing, drumming, and dancing of Manipur (2013); the traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab (2014); and Ramlila- the traditional performance of the Ramayana (2008).