For a healthy life: Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (right), Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, and Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, at a yoga event in Puducherry on Thursday. | Photo Credit: S_S_KUMAR more-in The fourth International Day of Yoga in Puducherry was packed with events as several institutions in Puducherry organised yoga demonstrations, training programmes and seminars to spread awareness on the importance of yoga. Under the auspices of the Department of Tourism, nearly 2,500 schoolchildren and college students joined 500 other yoga enthusiasts from different yoga training centres for a mass demonstration. Yoga enthusiasts with disabilities too performed asanas. Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Minister for Health and Tourism Malladi Krishna Rao, Minister for Education R. Kamalakkannan, Parliamentary Secretary to Government, K. Lakshminarayanan, Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar, Director-General of Police S.K. Gautam and secretaries to government were present. Ms. Bedi and Ms. Niranjan Jyoti participated in a continuous medical education on yoga at Jipmer along with S. Vivekanandam, Director, Jipmer, and R.P. Swaminathan, Dean (Academic). Beginning Thursday, the Welfare Department is conducting a four-day free AYUSH medical camp for public from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. near Beach Road. At the NCC Group Headquarters, Puducherry, under the aegis of Group Commander Col. K. Jayachandran, nearly 1,100 cadets of NCC units located in Puducherry performed yoga. Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER), is hosting International Day of Yoga Celebrations from June 18 to 26. Exhibitions and seminars The Directorate of Physical Education of Pondicherry University launched different activities between May 2 and June 20 based on the yoga protocol given by the Ministry of AYUSH. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) Regional Centre – Puducherry organised Yoga in Visual Arts and Thoughts at Exhibition House, Beach Road, Puducherry. In collaboration with French Institute of Pondicherry, a special lecture was held on “The essence and essentials of yoga from Yogasudhakara of Sadashiva Brahmendra” by M. Jayaraman in the presence of Drault Khouira, Vice Consul-General, French Consulate, Puducherry. Special classes NLCIL celebrated by organising special yoga classes at Ananda Ilam — House of Elders and Sneha Opportunity Services a day care centre for special children and six other schools at Neyveli involving 1,300 students. Puducherry Head Post Office joined the other institutions to celebrate the yoga day. Prisoners too took part in the international yoga day event conducted by Isha Foundation led by Inspector-General of Police Pankaj Jah and Superintendent of Police Shakthivel.

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