Jaipur, June 21 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday did yoga amid the gorgeous sand dunes of Jaisalmer district.

On this occasion, he said that 180 countries across the world are celebrating Yoga Day.

“This symbolises the hard work and research of our rishis who continued singing the saga of our Sanatan culture and glorifying its significance. Staying healthy has been a tradition in India. If we are healthy, our nation and state will stay healthy and shall progress,” he said.

He further thanked PM Narendra Modi for taking yoga to the world in a big way.

“I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took all initiatives to take yoga to 180 nations across the globe. Eventually, this day holds a great significance,” he added.

Many public representatives, administrative officers and employees, BSF jawans, women, students and the general public pledged to adopt a healthy lifestyle by doing various asanas on this occasion along with CM Sharma.

On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, CM Sharma had selected the picturesque Khuri sand dunes in Jaisalmer district to hold the yoga session.

Khuri sand dunes are situated at a distance of 40 kms to the southwest of Jaisalmer.

This is one of the most acknowledged and pristine places in the middle of the vast Thar Desert, which offers many ideal locations for tourists to get an experience of sand dunes in India.

As Rajasthan’s state-level celebration took place amid the picturesque sand dunes of Jaisalmer, hundreds of participants joined Chief Minister Sharma in performing yoga on the dunes of Khuri.

Following the event, the Chief Minister proceeded directly to the revered Tanot Mata Temple.

However, adverse weather conditions affected Yoga Day programmes across several districts in Rajasthan, including Bharatpur, Pali, Bhilwara, Udaipur, and Kota, forcing last-minute changes in venues.

In Chittorgarh, heavy rainfall allowed only 15 minutes of yoga practice. Meanwhile, in Bundi, a young girl captivated the audience by performing aerial yoga asanas using a rope.

A large-scale event was also organised at SMS Stadium in Jaipur.

The gathering saw the participation of Governor Haribhau Bagde, MP Manju Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa, BJP State President Madan Rathore, and several other leaders and public representatives.

The Governor led the attendees in taking a pledge to incorporate yoga into their daily lives.

–IANS

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