COLOMBO: Events connected with the International Yoga Day organized by Indian diplomatic missions in Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy and Humbantota on Sunday, elicited the enthusiastic participation of a cross-section of people in Sri Lanka, including foreign diplomats and tourists.
The 2,000-odd people gathered at the Galle Face Green facing the Arabian Sea included Maithri Wickremesinghe, wife of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe; Cabinet Minister for Rehabilitation, D.M.Swaminathan; Chief Minister of the North Western Province, Dayasiri Jayasekara; Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R.Sampanthan; Former Minister Douglas Devananda; cricketing star Muttiah Muralitharan; fashion and fitness icon Otara Gunawardene; the Ambassadors of Norway, Vietnam and Myanmar; diplomats from the German, Chinese and Japanese missions; children from several Colombo schools; East Asian Buddhist monks and Western tourists.
Yoga teachers and students from institutions such as Indian Cultural Centre, Sky Consciousness, Brahma Kumaris’ Raja Yoga Centre, Om Space, Art of Living Foundation, Ashtanga Brahma Yoga Institute and Sethsada Yoga Institute taught the vast concourse the basic Asanas, breathing techniques and even elements acupuncture. The climax of the 90 minute program was a fantastic display of innovative and unusual postures, directed by Vyasa Kalyanasundaram of the Ashtanga Brahma Yoga Institute.
In Jaffna
In Jaffna, over 5,000 students and teachers drawn from 15 schools in the peninsula, gathered at the Jaffna Central College Grounds to learn the basics of Yoga and meditation from Guru Suriyakumar of the Indian Cultural Center, Jaffna, and experts from the Art of Living Foundation, said A.Natarajan, Consul General for India in Jaffna. The Chief Guest was Seduvelsami Radhakrishnan, Central Minister of State for Education.
In the afternoon, 250 Jaffna University Students learnt Yoga Asanas. In the evening Yoga classes were conducted for teacher trainees at the Jaffna National College of Education.
“There is enormous enthusiasm for Yoga in Jaffna,” Natarajan told Express. “It gives peace of mind, “ added Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP R.Sampanthan. Former Minister Douglas Devananda said that the Lankan government should facilitate the teaching of yoga in all schools in the country.
Combining Yoga and Dance
Over the coming week, the Indian Cultural Center at Colombo will be having programs displaying the work of seven yoga schools in the city. “These schools propagate different forms of yoga and these programs will give them an opportunity to display the various styles. There will also be a program integrating yoga and dance, conducted by the Lankan Kathak exponent, Moksha Samarasooriya,” said Rajashree Behera, Director of the Center.