Anna Hazare joins Yoga Day fest in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, June 21 (IANS) Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday joined about 5,000 people -- young and old, boys and girls -- in celebrating the 3rd International Yoga Day at local Kanteerava Sports Stadium and performed 'yoga asanas' (exercises) and offered prayers.

The large event in the city, organised by the Karnataka government, witnessed participation by many celebrities, sports persons, politicians, lawmakers and state ministers and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers H.N. Ananth Kumar, who hails from the city and represents the Bengaluru South Lok Sabha seat.

Tao Porchon Lynch (98), from New York and Amma Nannamal (97) from Tamil Nadu, demonstrated several asanas and proved the effectiveness of yoga in having healthy life at this age.

Swashaguru Vachananda tutored the yoga participants in performing various yoga postures and explained the importance of every gesture of yoga.

In Karnataka, yoga activities were conducted at 350 venues with around three lakh people, said the spiritual-cum-social organisation Art of Living (AoL) in a statement here.

"AoL founder Ravi Shankara led thousands of people in yoga and meditation in Himachal Pradesh and lauded all teachers the world over for making the event a success," the statement said.

The Yoga Day was also celebrated at 40 bus depots in the city for about 30,000 staff of the state-run Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

Akshar Yoga hosted a grand yoga session with a one-minute Shirshasana (headstand) performed by a group of 500 yogis at the rooftop of World Trade Centre, Bangalore.

South Western Railway Headquarters also conducted Yoga and Pranayam session for railway officers and staff at Chalukya Railway Institute, Gadag Road, Hubballi from 9 a.m to 10 a.m. Additional General Manager P.A. Lamghare was the chief guest.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)