Yoga belongs to Uttarakhand: Rawat

Describing Uttarakhand as the land of yoga, Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said a proposal to develop Rishikesh as a wellness township will be considered while Jageshwar, Tungnath and Lohaghat will be developed as wellness centres.
Making the announcement at a state-level workshop on the International Yoga Day here, he said yoga "belongs to Uttarakhand whose saints and seers taught the rest of the world about the miraculous effects of yogic postures" on the physical and spiritual well being of mankind.
"People in Uttarakhand are promoting yoga on both personal and institutional levels," he said.
Last year, yoga programmes held in Rishikesh, Jageshwar and Haridwar had matched international standards and thousands of people from 100 countries participated in the yoga events held on Saturdays and Sundays as part of the Ardhakumbh fair this year, the CM said.

"A proposal to develop Rishikesh as a wellness township will be considered whereas a decision has been taken to develop Jageshwar, Tungnath and Lohaghat wellness centres," he said.
Yoga education will also be provided in schools, he said, adding the Chief Secretary has been asked to link yoga trainers with schools on a part time basis.

Rawat also honoured people working in the field of yoga education on the occasion and laid the foundation stone of a yoga park at Shaheed Durgamal Park on Garhi cant road here.
Meanwhile, a slew of programmes were also held all over the city to mark the yoga day with Union Minister for Social Justice Thawar Chand Gehlot performing yogasanas at a camp on Rangers College ground and Governor K K Paul performing yogic postures along with Raj Bhawan staff on its lawns early in the morning.

Speaking on the occasion, Paul described yoga as India's "unique gift to the world" and asked people to incorporate it into their daily routine for their own physical and spiritual well being.