Riyadh – On Wednesday in Al-Mahdi Park, a yoga class observing the International Day of Yoga was sponsored by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.
The topic of this year’s International Day of Yoga, “Yoga for Vasudaiva Kutumbakam,” coincides with India’s G20 presidency theme, “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” according to Indian Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan to Arab News.
At 6 a.m., the yoga event began and welcomed participants from all over the city, including instructors and students from different schools in the Kingdom, Saudis and other nationals, representatives from the Indian Embassy, and Indian individuals who reside in the Kingdom.
Ritu Yadav hosted the programme and was led by certified instructors from the International Yoga Club in Riyadh.
The ambassador reported that 600 persons attended today’s festivities at Al-Madi Park.
Alongside the yoga sessions, dance academies presented celebration dances with a yoga theme.
The event’s chief guest was Svyasa University chancellor and Padma Shri recipient Guruji Dr. H.R. Nagendra.
The occasion was also attended by Dr. Manjunath Sharma, vice chancellor and director of research at the same institution.
The International Day of Yoga was established by the UN on December 11, 2014, and has been observed ever since.
“Yoga is a traditional Indian physical, mental, and spiritual discipline. It is currently practised in many different ways all across the world and is becoming more and more well-known, according to Khan.
The embassy event’s goal was to raise awareness of yoga and to celebrate it as a holistic activity beneficial to one’s health and wellbeing.
According to Khan, “the philosophy underlying the age-old Indian practise of yoga has influenced various aspects of how society in India functions, whether it be with regard to fields like health and medicine or education and the arts.”
The ambassador described yoga as a practise that focuses on bringing the mind, body, and soul into harmony in order to promote improved mental, spiritual, and physical wellbeing.
“Yoga is already well-liked in the Gulf region, particularly in Saudi Arabia,” he declared.
Yoga has been accepted as a sport in Saudi Arabia as part of a holistic health initiative under Vision 2023. In June 2021, a memorandum of agreement between India and Saudi Arabia for yoga collaboration was also inked.
We would like to express our gratitude to the Saudi authorities for their exceptional assistance in helping us plan this event, in particular the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Al-Madi Park administration, and the Saudi Yoga Committee.
