Governor, Union Ministers attend Yoga Day events in TN

Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and several union ministers today led the state in celebrating the third International yoga day by joining yogic events organised on the occasion.
Rao presided over a event held at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore along with Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Mahesh Sharma.
Hundreds of people participated in the event conducted by Isha founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in front of the 112-ft tall Adiyogi statue, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February last.
"Adiyogi is one of the most iconic & inspiring places in the world for people to take up Yoga. #InternationalYogaDay", Sharma, who was the Guest of Honour at the event, tweeted.

Similal yoga programmes were held across the state with thousands of people, including students, taking part.
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju joined the celebrations held at a school in Chennai while Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Pon Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar participated in events conducted in Madurai and Puducherry respectively.

Lieutenant General R K Anand, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area, participated in the Yoga Day celebrations organised in Chennai.
"Nearly 500 service personnel participated in the event conducted at the Palm Grove Environmental Centre", an official release said.

Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Naval area, officers and Navy personnel along with their families participated in the event conducted at the INS Adyar here.
A report from Puducherry said Akbar inaugurated the yoga day celebrations and also a Continuous Medical Education programme on yoga at the premier health institute JIPMER.
Speaking on the occasion, he said it was Prime Minister NarendraModi's "vision on yoga that had converted what used to exist as part of our inheritance and heritage into a world phenomenon."
Yoga was part of the country's great contributions to the world's thinking and processes of enhancement.

"It is unfortunate that our contributions have been forgotten. Small minded people argued against it although yoga preaches message of harmony, shanthi and peace," the Union Minister said recalling opposition from some quarters to the initiative taken up by Modi three years ago.
He said what the Prime Minister had achieved through the UN and across 170 nations was a connectivity of thinking and thought processes.
Earlier, Akbar addressed the yoga day celebrations at the Gandhi Thidal organised by the Puducherry government, attended among others by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy.