Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi on June 21 said the Yoga Day event in Surat had set a “new Guinness World Record” for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session in one place. More than one lakh people took part in the event, Mr. Sanghavi said.
The previous record reportedly dates back to 2018, when 100,984 people attended a session held at Patanjali Yogapeeth in Kota, Rajasthan.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel joined the State-level ‘International Day of Yoga’ celebration in Dumas area of Surat. In all, 1.25 crore people took part in the Yoga Day celebration at 72,000 venues in the State, Mr. Patel said in his address before the commencement of the Yoga Day session.
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“The Yoga Day event in Surat has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session at one place,” Mr. Sanghavi said on the occasion.
Mr. Patel said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has popularised yoga across the world. “We witnessed how yoga and pranayama helped people during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
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“In Gujarat, nearly 1.25 crore people have joined the Yoga Day session today [across] 72,000 locations. In Surat, a World Record has been created with the participation of more than one lakh people,” said Mr. Patel. On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that the State government will open 21 ‘Yoga Studios’ in the near future for further popularising yoga.
“The State Yoga Board has so far trained 5,000 instructors. In the coming days, the State government is planning to start 21 Yoga Studios in the State,” he said.
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While the State-level event to mark International Yoga Day was held in Surat in the presence of Mr. Patel, other Ministers, Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), Members of Parliament (MPs) and officials took part in programmes in different districts.
As the country gears up to celebrate its 75th Anniversary Independence this August, the State government has selected 75 “iconic places” in the State to celebrate Yoga Day. These places include the Sabarmati Riverfront (Ahmedabad), Statue of Unity (Kevadia), White Rann of Kutch and Modhera Sun Temple, said an official release. The Yoga Day events were also held in various villages, towns, cities, colleges, schools, health centres, police headquarters, jails, police stations and other public places such as gardens, it added.
