BENGALURU: "I feel the energy of yoga in Bengaluru today. Karnataka’s soil has sustained the core of yoga as a discipline for centuries and enriched it," said Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Friday.
The PM was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of S-VYASA University’s Prashanti Kutiram campus in Jigani, having landed in the city earlier in the day at the HAL Airport.
"Dr. Rajkumar has served yoga as much as he did his art. Amidst Karnataka's history lies Pradhant Kutiram. Its journey should be known to every Indian: how an ordinary yoga centre transformed into a movement is an inspiration," Modi said.
Modi invoked Bengaluru-based Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) proponent HV Seshadri’s birth anniversary as well.
"Seshadri’s ideals set in the RSS are followed by its cadres today. He used to say that we should learn from a mother’s selfless devotion to her child, and serve society like she serves her child. He served society like he preached, and his learnings are important for me to this date. I still remember that he would often say that if one serves society with two hands, society returns it with a million," he said.
"The public has always blessed me in my career. When the country was not independent, Swami Vivekananda awakened the nation’s youths’ souls with the ideals of spirituality and yoga. Philosophers were inculcated here at Prashanti Kutiram. The teachers and doctors graduated from here are serving the world today. Ayurveda, and modern medicine find a great ecosystem here," Modi added.
The PM posited Indian spirituality and natural sciences as emblematic of the nation at large, and entities that he has carried during his travels as reflective of the country.
"In the last 12 years, India has been exhibiting its heritage and science in front of the world with pride. The entire world celebrates International Yoga Day because of India. In Saudi Arabia, yoga has been recognised as a sport activity." he said.
"Wherever I go in the world, during a meal, the person beside me talks to me about yoga, and I have to explain that I am merely a practitioner, not an expert. It has allowed India everywhere; it is a gateway to India. I have noticed foreign citizens fully committed to yoga," he said.
He also added that more than 28 countries have signed memoranda of agreement (MoUs) with India in the field of ayurveda practice, and the union government is giving it added recognition with a place in national level tournaments like Khelo India.
"Ayurveda is being promoted by the union government as much as yoga. For the first time in India, we have created a Ministry of Ayush. From India, ayurveda exports are increasing constantly, worth up to lakhs of crores of currency. An incidental item like turmeric has acquired global fame, and consequently we constituted the National Turmeric Board." Modi said.
"We need to pass on the opportunities of our tradition to the youth of today," Modi said.
Concluding, the PM asked the university to align its roadmap with the union government’s Viksit Bharat roadmap. "All Indians are working towards Viksit Bharat. A recent World Bank report has stated that in the last 12-13 years, about 50 crore Indians have escaped extreme poverty." he said
"They have new opportunities now. We endeavour to serve a healthy lifestyle to every family, and yoga is a huge part of that, and it costs nothing," he said.
