Thousands perform yoga in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Union Minister Uma Bharti alongwith thousands took part in the second International Yoga Day celebrations here on Tuesday.

Since early morning, people gathered at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here where the state level function was organised.

"Enthusiasm this year was more than the previous year. We made arrangements for over 30,000 people for the yoga day celebrations at SMS Stadium," a senior official told IANS.

Chief Minister Raje, Rajya Sabha member and BJP national vice president Om Mathur, State Health Minister Rajendra Rathore, and other ministers along with state government officials participated in the yoga event.

The programme, which lasted for over 40 minutes, was also attended by Union Minister Uma Bharti.

Besides Jaipur, yoga was performed in other districts of Rajasthan.

Children in state government-run schools performed yoga exercises in their respective schools.

Later, Raje and Uma Bharti inaugurated a yoga outpatient department (OPD) and research centre in the state's largest government-run SMS Hospital here. "We plan to have these kind of OPDS in all government medical colleges in the state by next yoga day," Raje said, talking to reporters here.

In her message, Chief Minister Raje said that yoga "is a priceless cure to live a healthy life".

"Yoga has been an integral part of the Indian culture. Due to the efforts made by India the United Nations has declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Now people around the world are practicing Yoga for healthy living," she said in a statement.

--IANS

as/rn/vm