Tirupati: Pilgrim city celebrates International Yoga Day with fervour

Tirupati: Municipal Corporation Commissioner P S Girisha and Mayor Dr R Sirisha led the celebrations of the International Yoga Day 2021 in the pilgrim city on Monday. At a programme organised jointly by the Corporation and Yoga association of Chittoor district, they recalled that India introduced yoga to the world which benefits the people immensely.

By regularly practicing yoga, people can get rid of several diseases both in the long and short run. During the Covid pandemic, yoga helped several people in the recovery process.

When the deadly coronavirus shows its severe adverse impact on lungs, yoga has become a medicine in strengthening the lungs. It not only provides physical strength but also helps people to get rid of psychological stress.

They opined that everyone should practise yoga and meditation and make them part of their life. Earlier, several asanas were displayed by yoga teachers and students. District yoga association secretary S Srinivasulu Naidu, Coaches Kalpa Latha, Kumar Raja, Kiran Kumar, Vani, Nagamrutha and smart City GM V Chandramouli took part in the programme.

At a separate programme organised by the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), yoga enthusiasts practiced yoga asanas. IRCS Tirupati branch chairman Prof D Venkateswarlu, Dr Yamini R Diwakar, Dr Ravi Challa and others took part in the event and made it a success. National Sanskrit University Vice Chancellor Prof V Muralidhara Sharma offered prayers at the statue of Pathanjali Maharshi in the campus on the occasion. He said the literature relating to yoga was in Sanskrit language and they both are inseparable.

By studying the ancient literature, one can practice Ashtanga yoga. Registrar Commander Challa Venkateswar and other faculty took part in the yogabhyasa programme. A webinar on 'Yoga awareness and wellbeing' was also organised on the occasion in which Dr D Jyothi, Swamy Anupamananda, Dr V Vanajakshamma, Dr P Muralikrishna and Prof Satyanarayana Acharya took part.

SVIMS observed International Yoga Day through virtual mode with the help of Art of Living (AOL). Director Dr B Vengamma, Dean Dr Siddarth Kumar, Registrar Dr Sridhar Babu, AOL Tirupati in-charge Suresh and others took part. As part of maintaining physical distancing following the guidelines of central and state governments the day was being observed virtually.

BJP's Sakthi centre in-charge Gundala Gopinath Reddy conducted a programme near Jai Shyam theatre in the city in which several members took part.

He said the immune system in the body will be improved through regular practicing of yoga and make them healthy. By starting the day with yoga, people can be active and fit. K Viswanath, T Subrahmanyam Reddy, P Vijay Kumar Reddy and others were present.