VIJAYAWADA: The State government’s ambitious Yogandhra Festival, held to promote yoga as a way of life, concluded with a grand prize distribution ceremony at Tummalapalli Kshetraiah Kalakshetram on Wednesday.
Organised as part of the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations, the event featured cultural programmes, patriotic tributes, and recognition of excellence in yoga.
Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said Yogandhra reflects India’s cultural heritage and aims to embed yoga into everyday life.
Applauding the winners as the torchbearers of yoga’s future, he revealed that 526 participants competed across 42 events in 15 categories, with 193 emerging victorious. Among them, 38 participants hailed from tribal districts Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam.
The Minister credited PM Narendra Modi’s global advocacy for the widespread adoption of yoga in 175 countries and praised AP for surpassing its participation target, recording over 2.3 crore registrations.Tourism, Culture, and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh called Yogandhra a movement beyond International Yoga Day.
He noted yoga’s growing global reach, especially in Europe, and praised the Prime Minister as yoga’s global ambassador.
AYUSH Director Dr K Dinesh Kumar said over 4 lakh students participated in village-level competitions, with 526 advancing to the State level. The winners will perform in Visakhapatnam on June 21 in the Prime Minister’s presence. Secondary Health Director A Siri lauded the transparency and scale of the competition.
NTR District Collector Dr G Lakshmisha said Yogandhra is a movement shaped by the leadership of the PM and CM, and proudly noted the district’s record-setting floating yoga performance. The event featured a moving tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in Operation Sindoor, followed by a two-minute silence and a stirring performance by Amaravati Yoga and Aerobics. Students demonstrated “Pragya Yoga – Art of Living,” enriching the spiritual atmosphere of the ceremony.