Madanapalle (Annamayya district): Over5,000 yoga enthusiasts gathered at BT College grounds in Madanapalle on Wednesday for a mass yoga session, marking a major highlight of the ongoing state-wide ‘Yogandhra 2025’ celebrations. The event culminated in a 45-minute guided session led by chief yoga instructor Dr P Brahma Kumar, assisted by 15 trainers.

Addressing the gathering, Annamayya district Collector Ch Sridhar emphasised yoga’s deep roots in Indian tradition and its role in enhancing physical, mental, and spiritual health. He announced that International Yoga Day on June 21 would be marked in Visakhapatnam with the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The event is expected to draw five lakh people in person and engage approximately two crore individuals across Andhra Pradesh.

Collector Sridhar added that the month-long ‘Yogandhra 2025’ programmes are being held throughout all mandals, divisions, and district headquarters in Annamayya district from May 21 to June 21. The Madanapalle event aimed to showcase yoga’s global relevance. He encouraged people of all age groups, from seniors to children over eight, to incorporate yoga into their daily lives for better health.

Local MLA Shahjahan Basha, who participated in the session, joined the public in performing yoga. He stressed the importance of regular yoga practice to combat lifestyle-related health issues such as diabetes and urged people to adopt physical activities like yoga, walking, or sports.

He particularly encouraged women to take part in morning walks and yoga at local playgrounds and assured that safety measures and dedicated spaces would be provided if necessary. Also present at the event were Joint Collector Adarsh Rajendran, Sub-Collector Megha Swarup, DFO Jagannath Singh, Sub DFO Subba Raju, and other officials.