Sumit Nayyar
Recognizing the universal appeal of Yoga, on December 11 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 to be marked as the International Day of Yoga.
It was first started by our present Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He celebrated Yoga Day for the first time on June 21 in 2015. Since then, Yoga Day has been celebrated every year by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in India.
As per the calendar, this date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere. Also, from the Yoga’s perspective, this summer solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. Dakshinayana is the six-month tenure for the sun to travel to the south on the celestial sphere in between the Summer and the Winter solstice.

International Yoga Day 2022

In today’s times, this is practised in various forms across different parts of the world and is growing more and more popular. The main aim of celebrating International Day of Yoga is to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits of Yoga. However, Yoga is much more than just a mere physical activity.
As per one of the famous Yoga practitioners, late B. K. S. Iyengar, Yoga is the best way to cultivate and maintain a balanced attitude in daily life while bequeathing the best of performance skills in every action being made.
Role of India to promote Yoga
Yoga originated in India. Yoga has been practised in India for about 5000 years; every person in India knows about Yoga very much in advance, people know its benefits, and it has been done before it became popular in the world. In his speech given in the UN, the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, gave the idea of making International Yoga important.
He said in his speech,” Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but discovering the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. Changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness can help in well-being.
The main objective to adopt International Yoga Day is as mentioned below.
* Promote enhanced mental and physical health advantages amongst the people.
* Aware the public of Yoga’s holistic advantages.
* Promote awareness among people about Yoga’s natural and amazing results.
* Assist people to connect with nature while practising Yoga daily.
* Reduction in the rate of fatal diseases across nations.
* Unification of communities while devoting quality time for health from monotonous work routines.
* Growth enhancement and development together to bring peace.
* Encouraging people to eliminate negativity and embrace yoga asanas.
* Triumph over bad mental and physical health.
* Promote healthy living habits amongst the masses.
In last but not the least-
Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.
Now in our UT International Yoga Centre is coming up at Mantalai, and it is heartening to know that the Central Government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 99 Crore to develop it. Out of Rs 99 Crore sanctioned for the three tourist places, Rs 83.73 crores have alone been earmarked for the development of Mantalai as an International Yoga Centre, which will include Yoga Centre, Wellness and Ayurveda Complex, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Cafeteria, Accomodation facilities, eco-parking and herbal garden, Meditation Enclave, Landscaping, Rainwater Harvesting Fountains, Children’s Activities zone, etc but till date no development has been made. Once an internationally famous place bubbling with activity, Mantalai, this beautiful place does attract a large footfall of tourists every year, who are mesmerised by its bewitching beauty. The beautiful buildings constructed decades ago, green grounds, the helipad etc and many other remnants of the years gone by tell a lot about the beauty and fame of this place in the days when Swami Dhirendera Brahamchari used to run an Ashram and conducted yoga classes at Mantalai. As well as Sudhmahadev is also a beautiful tourist and religious spot having a huge potential for tourism. The International Yoga center in Mantalai is part of a larger project called “Integrated Development of Tourist facilities at Mantalai-Sudhmahadev-Patnitop under Himalayan Circuit,” implemented under the “Swadesh Darshan” scheme.
National Projects Construction Corporation, a Government of India Enterprise has already been allotted the International Yoga Centre project and the Corporation has almost completed 75% work at Yoga centre according to the directives by the Hon’ble High Court in a Public Interest Litigation titled Sumit Nayyar versus Union of India and Others. Although the construction of Mantalai’s Yoga Center was scheduled to be finished by November 2020, it got delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Other facilities like swimming pool, airstrip, helipad, spa, gymnasium, auditorium, hostels, and business convention center at this Yoga Center are underway. The Yoga center, spa area, and treatment center are planned such that they accommodate 60-70 people at any given time.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is the only process in which you can exercise without any equipment. Not only that but in Yoga, you can drive away your diseases without any medicine.
With Yoga, you can increase the flexibility of your body. If there is flexibility in one’s body, then the pain is much less in that body. Doing Yoga can relieve your pain.
If a person does Yoga for 20 to 30 minutes daily, then his body does not get tired throughout the day.
Yoga is very beneficial for children. Yoga is also helpful in calming the mind, and it is also helpful in showing the right attitude. Doing Yoga produces positive thoughts, and it also takes the mind to do the right thing
Muscles get strong by doing Yoga. By going to the gym, doing weight exercises also strengthen muscles, but when you do Yoga, your muscles become strong, and at the same time, it becomes flexible also, so there is no arthritis and back pain.
Doing Yoga improves human posture.
Yoga helps bones remain strong, and there is no joint pain. Blood flow remains good by doing Yoga. It also improves the heart rate of the body and also boosts immunity. Not only this, but Yoga also helps in controlling blood pressure and controls blood sugar levels.
Weight loss is also very quick and easy due to Yoga. Yoga makes the person happy all the time. It enhances peace of mind which leads to good sleep.
(The author is Advocate J&K High Court)

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