Annual festival has made yoga popular globally: Muni

Tribune News Service

Rishikesh, March 4

The International Yoga Festival being organized at Parmarth Niketan has become the premier yoga festival in the entire world and they are receiving enquiries from enthusiasts. Swami Chidanand Muni Saraswati, spiritual ideologue of the Parmarth Niketan ashram, said this on the fourth day of the 28th annual festival at Swargashram, Yamkeshwar, near Rishikesh, today.

Swami Chidanand, while addressing yoga participants from 80 countries, said to promote yoga the Uttar Pradesh government in 1989 had started hosting the festival through the Tourism Department at various places.

However, since 1999 it is being continuously organised at the Parmarth Niketan ashram. “From 12 odd participants initially to 1,100 participants this year from across the world, this yoga festival has made a major stride. In fact, the festival has made a significant contribution to making yoga popular in foreign countries. Saints, yoga gurus, trainers and spiritual ideologues participate in the festival every year,” said Swami Chidanand.

Yoga guru from Iran Chandanni Miglino said yoga was becoming popular not only in Europe, America and Africa but also in Gulf countries, courtesy the International Yoga Festival.

Director of the International Yoga Festival Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati said the popularity of the festival could be gauged from the fact that they were still receiving queries from yoga enthusiasts from various parts of the world.

Saraswati added that at the festival, one could learn the nuances of various forms of yoga such as ashthang yoga, Marma Chikisa, atma yoga, ayusha yoga, yogi yoga, kundalini yoga, yuva yoga to basic pranayama, which is the most popular worldwide.