New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) The Indian Navy on Wednesday observed the International Yoga Day with the formation of an “Ocean Ring of Yoga”, as naval ships made port calls to friendly nations in the Indian Ocean region and held yoga activities on ships and at ports. Naval ships including Kiltan, Chennai, Shivalik, Sunayna, Trishul, Tarkash, Vagir, Sumitra and Brahmaputra, all deployed in the Indian Ocean region, made port calls to Chattogram in Bangladesh, Safaga in Egypt, Jakarta in Indonesia, Mombasa in Kenya, Toamasina in Madagascar, Muscat in Oman, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Phuket in Thailand and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where yoga sessions were held in accordance with the “Common Yoga Protocol”. Nearly 3,500 naval personnel on board 19 Indian Navy ships have travelled more than 35,000 kilometres as ambassadors of yoga in both national and international waters, the Indian Navy has said.
This includes more than 2,400 personnel on 11 naval ships at foreign ports or international waters.
Yoga day celebrations are also being held on board ships of several foreign navies in concert with India’s overseas missions involving more than 1,200 foreign navy personnel.
In the Western Naval Command, over 7,000 naval personnel and defence civilians took part in yoga camps conducted under the theme ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’ and ‘Yoga from Arctic to Antarctica’ at various locations.
Yoga day celebrations were also held on board naval ships and submarines on the high seas and in five foreign ports. In the Eastern Naval Command, over 13,000 naval personnel, Defence Security Corps, defence civilians and their family members participated in the event across the Eastern Seaboard. Eastern Naval Command ships also conducted yoga both at sea and various ports on the east coast.
In Southern Naval Command, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh joined the Armed Forces personnel and the Indian Coast Guard on board India’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in their yoga day celebrations off the coast of Kochi. Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar was also present at the event there. Addressing over 900 personnel, which included 120 newly recruited ‘Agniveers’, Singh exhorted them to include yoga in their daily routine for physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It involves zero investment, while providing incredible profits he said.
Indian Coast Guard meanwhile celebrated International Day of Yoga by forming a coastal ring or ‘Sagarmala’ all along the country’s coastline by organising special yoga sessions at all stations, ships and units in the coastal states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal as well as in the islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
The United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga (IDY) following a resolution moved by India and co-sponsored by a large number of countries. The first IDY was observed on June 21, 2015. PTI AO SKY
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