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Monk Bhikkhu Sanghasena among winners of prime minister’s yoga award for 2021
One of the most coveted honours in the field of yoga will be conferred to Bhikku Sanghasena of Leh and Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues of Brazil, along with two organisations
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, the AYUSH ministry has announced to give the ‘Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga’ for 2021 to two individuals and two organisations in recognition of their contributions in the space.
One of the most coveted honours in the field of yoga will be conferred to Bhikkhu Sanghasena of Leh and Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues of Brazil, along with two organisations – The Divine Life Society, Uttarakhand and the British Wheel of Yoga of the United Kingdom. They will also receive ₹25 lakh as cash prize, a trophy and a certificate.
Sanghasena is the founder of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre in Leh, and a social and spiritual worker. Earlier, the Gandhi Peace Foundation conferred him with the World Peace Award in 2004.
Rojo trained at Kaivalyadhama School in Lonavala, which was founded by Swami Kuvalayananda. Upon his return to Brazil, he acted as the main promoter of yoga in the country, emphasising on the scientific teachings of Swami Kuvalayananda.
Similarly, the British Wheel of Yoga in the United Kingdom was founded by Wilfred Clark in 1965. He practiced yoga during his army service in the First World War. Later, he started teaching yoga and eventually opened up the Wheel. The organisation is now committed to promoting a better understanding of yoga through education and training programs.
Prime Minister Modi announced these awards on the second International Yoga Day to felicitate individuals and organisations who have made a significant impact on society for a sustained time period through the promotion and development of yoga.
The selection of the awardees was made after a two-stage process that reviewed the contributions made by institutions and individuals that were shortlisted. The selections were done under four categories – international individual, international organisation, national individual and national organisation.
This year, the International Yoga Day countdown campaign began on March 13. In the 100-day countdown, 100 cities and 100 organisations were involved. Since this year’s celebration falls under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, yoga is being held at 75 iconic heritage/cultural sites on Tuesday.
