25K Tribal Students Set World Record in Vizag With 108 Surya Namaskar
All government schools to have a yoga class once a week after June 21: Education Minister Lokesh
Visakhapatnam: Tribal students from across Andhra Pradesh, numbering 25,000, performed 108 Surya Namaskar at the AU Engineering College Grounds on Friday, setting a new world record ahead of the International Yoga Day celebrations on Saturday.
The event, organised one day before the official International Yoga Day on June 21, saw students from 106 schools transported to the venue in 495 specially arranged buses. The students performed 108 Surya Namaskar sequences in just 15 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 21,000 participants.
Five large tents, each accommodating 5,000 students, had been put up at the engineering college grounds, ensuring smooth coordination of the massive event.
Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani expressed her admiration for the students' commitment, stating, "25,000 Adivasi have performed Yoga with so much dedication. They have broken their own previous record, signifying continuous improvement in their yoga activities.”
IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh said, "When I see tribal people, I see commitment. Within 108 minutes, you did 108 Surya Namaskar. Not only India, the entire world is looking at us. I thank you on behalf of the government. This is a world record, which will be announced tomorrow."
Lokesh shared personal insights about the importance of yoga. He credited his success to regular yoga practice from a young age. "Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister and my father, used to wake me up when I was your age and make me do yoga. We all should dream of changing the world. This is just a start," he underlined
On the occasion, the Education Minister announced a policy stating, "After June 21, we have decided on yoga class once a week at all government schools." He asked students to view this as the beginning of a larger transformation.
Union minister Prataparao Jadhav congratulated the participants, saying, "It is an amazing record. My best wishes to the children who achieved this feat during the celebration of World Yoga Day."
Those who witnessed the record-breaking event included Prataprao Jadhav, Nara Lokesh, chief secretary Vijayanand, ministers G. Sandhya Rani and Satyakumar, and special chief secretary T. Krishna Babu.