Muscat: Seventy-five yoga events will be organised in Muscat over the next 75 days as part of the celebrations launched to mark the 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY).
Titled the ‘Muscat Yog Mahotsav 2022’, the celebrations are being organised by the Embassy of India in Muscat, and will continue until 21 June. This yoga festival will include events in both online and offline modes at different locations in Muscat, and also across many cities in Oman such as Salalah, Sohar and Sur.
All Yoga enthusiasts, including Indians, Omanis and friends from other countries residing in Oman are invited to participate in this first-ever yoga festival of health and well-being. The weekly schedule of events under the Yog Mahotsav will be uploaded along with details on the embassy’s social media pages.
The main celebration of the 8th IDY on 21 June 2022 is to be held at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre with the support of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, yoga organizations, the Indian Social Club, Indian schools in Oman and Oman-based yoga practitioners.
Yoga symbolises a journey for universal health and well-being. Attesting to the global appeal of yoga, the United Nations declared 21 June as the ‘International Day of Yoga’ in 2014. The International Day of Yoga (IDY) has over the years morphed into a global movement for holistic health and well-being.
Yoga popular in Oman
“Yoga is quite popular in Oman as well, and over the years, an increasing number of yoga enthusiasts from different nationalities have participated in IDY,” said the Embassy of India in a statement. “This year as we celebrate 75 glorious years of India’s independence, the embassy, with the support of various yoga organisations in Oman, plans to organise 75 events in the coming 75 days in the run-up to the celebration of the 8th IDY.”
Yog Mahotsav launched
The ‘Muscat Yog Mahotsav’ was launched on the morning of 8 April at the embassy premises. It was attended by Indian Social Club representatives and members of several yoga organisations in Oman. The event started with a ceremonial lamp lighting by Divya Narang. Ambassador Amit Narang briefly addressed the gathering and stated that yoga connects us to our inner self and acts as a catalyst for overall health.
A Tanjore painting made by Kavitha Ramakrishna depicting one of the most powerful and versatile Yoga movements – the sun salutation – was also unveiled by the Ambassador to mark the formal start of Yog Mahotsav in Oman.
After the brief formal programme, the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) was performed by all the participants, which was demonstrated by Yoga experts from Sanskriti Yoga, Art of Living, Yoga Shaala and Yoga City.