Johannesburg, Thousands of yoga enthusiasts from various communities in South Africa who joined the International Yoga Day events in Johannesburg and Durban highlighted the unity that yoga brings, Indian High Commissioner Prabhat Kumar said.
Kumar spoke at Johannesburg's iconic Wanderers stadium, where he joined nearly 8,000 people on Saturday to take part in an hour of yoga led by expert Maya Bhatt. This broke the record of 7,500 that was set at the same location last year.
International Yoga Day is celebrated in South Africa on the Saturday closest to June 21 for the convenience of people joining events from across the country and even from neighboring states.
Also on Saturday, on Durban beach, some 3,500 people joined chief guest, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, at the Yoga Day event hosted by the founder of the Sivananda Foundation for Health. World Peace, Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu.
He remains the only person of Indian origin to have been anointed Prince of the Zulu Kingdom for his philanthropic work.
“The figures we see here are amazing. The energy here is palpable,” Kumar said while recalling how he had witnessed Yoga Day events in many countries where he had been posted that did not reach these numbers.
“This is the beauty of yoga. It creates unity and unites us all. In my previous posts, I have seen yoga taking on a local flavour, innovations that we need to encourage,” Kumar added.
Kumar praised the South African government for being part of the 177 countries that co-sponsored India's proposal at the UN General Assembly in 2014 to designate June 21 as UN International Yoga Day and for its continued support at the UN General Assembly. local.
Kumar also thanked the numerous companies, including many national and multinational companies, who had supported Yoga Day by organizing booths at the stadium, ranging from lifestyle tips and yoga schools to cultural insights and various Indian cuisine offerings.
Kumar said the Indian missions would also soon host an international conference on yoga in Durban.
"Experts from many African countries are coming, as well as the director general of the International Council for Cultural Relations," he said.
Consul General in Johannesburg Mahesh Kumar, who spearheaded the Wanderers event, said he was using technology to collect data on the popularity of yoga in South Africa.
“Yoga is practiced throughout South Africa. People from all nine provinces have participated in an online evaluation survey that we have organized. People of all ages also participated in the survey, which we restricted to those over 18, otherwise we would probably have seen more.
"The oldest is 79 years old, and this shows that people see yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle that they would like to follow," Kumar said.
Ntuli told participants in Durban, where the first Indian indentured laborers landed on sugar cane plantations in 1860, that the provincial government has been part of International Yoga Day since its inception and would continue to do so.
"We fervently hope that this historic event will become a tourist attraction on the KZN events calendar, attracting enthusiasts of all religions and cultures," Ntuli said, recalling how former prime minister of the Zulu nation, the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who died in September last year, had attended International Yoga Day since its inception.
“It was his expressed wish that yoga became part of school learning. He was a great yoga enthusiast and said that he should take root in our nation by introducing it in our schools,” Ntuli said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted how yoga could help bring peace and harmony in the province and the country after the recent elections.
“As we explore the many facets of this new and exciting moment in our democracy, it is certainly encouraging to see community leaders from all spheres, including the political, government, academic, social and cultural sectors, all coming together to participate in the practical of yoga,” Ntuli concluded.
Kumar spoke at Johannesburg's iconic Wanderers stadium, where he joined nearly 8,000 people on Saturday to take part in an hour of yoga led by expert Maya Bhatt. This broke the record of 7,500 that was set at the same location last year.
International Yoga Day is celebrated in South Africa on the Saturday closest to June 21 for the convenience of people joining events from across the country and even from neighboring states.
Also on Saturday, on Durban beach, some 3,500 people joined chief guest, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, at the Yoga Day event hosted by the founder of the Sivananda Foundation for Health. World Peace, Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu.
He remains the only person of Indian origin to have been anointed Prince of the Zulu Kingdom for his philanthropic work.
“The figures we see here are amazing. The energy here is palpable,” Kumar said while recalling how he had witnessed Yoga Day events in many countries where he had been posted that did not reach these numbers.
“This is the beauty of yoga. It creates unity and unites us all. In my previous posts, I have seen yoga taking on a local flavour, innovations that we need to encourage,” Kumar added.
Kumar praised the South African government for being part of the 177 countries that co-sponsored India's proposal at the UN General Assembly in 2014 to designate June 21 as UN International Yoga Day and for its continued support at the UN General Assembly. local.
Kumar also thanked the numerous companies, including many national and multinational companies, who had supported Yoga Day by organizing booths at the stadium, ranging from lifestyle tips and yoga schools to cultural insights and various Indian cuisine offerings.
Kumar said the Indian missions would also soon host an international conference on yoga in Durban.
"Experts from many African countries are coming, as well as the director general of the International Council for Cultural Relations," he said.
Consul General in Johannesburg Mahesh Kumar, who spearheaded the Wanderers event, said he was using technology to collect data on the popularity of yoga in South Africa.
“Yoga is practiced throughout South Africa. People from all nine provinces have participated in an online evaluation survey that we have organized. People of all ages also participated in the survey, which we restricted to those over 18, otherwise we would probably have seen more.
"The oldest is 79 years old, and this shows that people see yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle that they would like to follow," Kumar said.
Ntuli told participants in Durban, where the first Indian indentured laborers landed on sugar cane plantations in 1860, that the provincial government has been part of International Yoga Day since its inception and would continue to do so.
"We fervently hope that this historic event will become a tourist attraction on the KZN events calendar, attracting enthusiasts of all religions and cultures," Ntuli said, recalling how former prime minister of the Zulu nation, the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who died in September last year, had attended International Yoga Day since its inception.
“It was his expressed wish that yoga became part of school learning. He was a great yoga enthusiast and said that he should take root in our nation by introducing it in our schools,” Ntuli said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted how yoga could help bring peace and harmony in the province and the country after the recent elections.
“As we explore the many facets of this new and exciting moment in our democracy, it is certainly encouraging to see community leaders from all spheres, including the political, government, academic, social and cultural sectors, all coming together to participate in the practical of yoga,” Ntuli concluded.
