Watch Baijal, Kejriwal in sync as 10000 people join Yoga Day event in Delhi’s CP | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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Watch Baijal, Kejriwal in sync as 10000 people join Yoga Day event in Delhi’s CP

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Jun 21, 2017 10:26 PM IST

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, L-G Anil Baijal, Unions ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Vijay Goel and presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind were present at the event at Connaught Place on Wednesday.

Morning showers could not deter Delhiites from joining the Yoga Day celebrations at Connaught Place on Wednesday morning as hundreds gathered here to be part of the event.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and LieutenantGeneral Anil Baijal during International Day of Yoga celebrations at Connaught Place on Wednesday.(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and LieutenantGeneral Anil Baijal during International Day of Yoga celebrations at Connaught Place on Wednesday.(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

According to New Delhi Municipal Council, as many as 10,000 people joined Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Vijay Goel, Delhi Lieutenant-Govenor Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the yoga performance here. NDA’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind was also present at the event.

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Even the Delhi CM and L-G, who are otherwise at loggerheads over myriad issues, were seen in sync, doing asanas in near perfect harmony.

The sight was an added attraction for those gathered for the mega event. Here is a quick look:

“It was a wonderful experience. I have come all the way from Dilshad Garden with my family and friends to be part of this mega event. How can a little bit of rain stop me. So good to see leaders like Kejriwal, Naidu and even the L-G doing yoga,” Suresh Sharma, a 58-year-old, said.

The International Yoga Day is celebrated annually on June 21 since its inception in 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his UN address had suggested the date as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares special significance in many parts of the world.

This year, Lucknow hosted the main event in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath participated, along with over 50,000 people.

A live stream of the speeches of the UP CM and PM Modi was screened at the Connaught Place venue.

Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Vijay Goel, L-G Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at Connaught Place on Wednesday. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Vijay Goel, L-G Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at Connaught Place on Wednesday. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

The NDMC had organised the Delhi edition of the event at Connaught Place, its six radials and inner circles, roads along with three gardens — Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park, Talkatora Garden — and also at Children Park at India Gate.

In Connaught Place, volunteers from organisations like Patanjali Yoga Peetha, Art of Living, Maa Shakti, Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vidyalaya, Gayatri Pariwar, Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), personnel the Delhi Police, the NDMC, the CISF, the CRPF, the BSF and the ITBP performed asanas.

The programme started at 6am and ended around 8am.

However, not all yoga enthusiasts were happy. Due to the morning showers, many mini puddles had formed. The yoga mats were also wet.

Uttam Gupta, a Lakshmi Nagar resident, had to return disappointed. “All the mats were wet. I couldn’t get a place for me and my son. So, going back,” Gupta said.

Even at Lodhi Garden, chaos ensued as more people turned up than anticipated and there were scuffles over yoga mats.

The first Yoga Day celebration in the country was organised at the Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015, in which representatives of 191 countries had participated.

The event made it to the Guinness World Records with 35,985 participants of 84 nationalities performing asanas at one venue. Last year, the main event was held in Chandigarh.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Ritam Halder has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked in multiple roles across organisations. He has been a features writer, a digital journalist as well as a desk hand. He now covers environment, water and urban issues in Delhi.

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