Visakhapatnam: Anitha Calls For Daily Yoga To Beat Stress
Winners of district-level yoga competitions and yoga instructors were honoured on the occasion: Reports
Visakhapatnam: The 12th International Day of Yoga was celebrated with enthusiasm in Visakhapatnam as the state government organised the ‘Yogandhra’ programme at Sagarika Function Hall on Beach Road. The event, originally scheduled at RK Beach, was shifted indoors due to heavy rain.
Addressing the gathering, home minister Vangalapudi Anitha said yoga should become a part of daily life and underscored the government's commitment to building a healthy Andhra Pradesh. She said the state had organised Yoga Fortnight celebrations across villages and districts in line with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's vision to promote awareness about yoga.
The minister highlighted yoga's role in combating stress and depression, particularly among children, and emphasised its benefits for physical and mental well-being. Recalling last year's world-record mass yoga event in Visakhapatnam, in which more than three lakh people participated, she congratulated the city's residents for their support. She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for popularising yoga globally and acknowledged the efforts of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan in promoting yoga in the state.
District collector M. Abhishikth Kishore said Yogandhra programmes had been conducted extensively across the district over the past month, including special events with the Navy and sessions at tourist destinations such as Rushikonda Blue Flag Beach and East Point Golf Club. He noted that this year's theme, 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing', was promoted through these initiatives.
Government Whip Ganababu, TD state president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao, Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg, Joint Collector Gobbilla Vidyadhari, Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Prof. G.P. Rajasekhar, DFO Ravinder Dhama, senior officials, yoga practitioners, students and members of the public participated in the event.
Winners of district-level yoga competitions and yoga instructors were honoured on the occasion, while students of the Andhra University Yoga Department presented demonstrations showcasing various aspects of yoga.