NEHU Celebrates 4th International Yoga Day


Date: Jun 21, 2018


The North-Eastern Hill University celebrated International Yoga Day on 21st June, 2018 at the Multi-use Convention Hall, NEHU, Shillong from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Prof. H. Lamin, Vice-Chancellor, NEHU was the chief guest while Swami Ved Saranandji Maharaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Shillong was the guest of honour.

A group from Patanjali Yoga Kendra, Shillong led by Ms. Goma Sharma and another group of yoga teachers from the Art of Living, Shillong Kendra led by Ms. Mala Sinha were also present.

The programme started with the lighting of the lamp by the chief gest, guest of honour and other dignitaries followed by the welcome address by Prof. M. P. Pandey, the Chairman of University Level Yoga Committee. Prof. Ramesh Sharma, Department of Biochemistry, NEHU, a special invitee from the University community delivered a talk on the benefits of yoga in the context of health and disease. Afterwards, the yoga practice session was conducted by Patanjali Yoga Kendra, Shillong in which different asanas and pranayam were demonstrated by the group and practiced by the university community. Swami Ved Saranandji Maharaj spoke in detail about the ways and means by which one can incorporate yoga in their day-to-day life. Prof. Lamin spoke about the importance of yoga to improve human health and stressed that yoga is not only a religious practice but also a long Indian tradition. He also said that yoga has united all of us despite the diversities of language, customs, religious practices that exist in India.

The members of Art of Living conducted the yoga protocol session as issued by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. About 150 participants including students, teaching and non-teaching staff and their family members actively attended the programme. An exhibition of posters was also organised at the venue in which different asanas, pranayams were displayed on the benefits of yoga. Posters of yoga protocol issued by Ministry of AYUSH were also exhibited at the venue. T-shirts printed with the logo of the International Yoga Day were distributed to all the participants.

The programme ended with a vote of thanks by Mr. A. Sohtun, the convener of the University Level Yoga Committee. Fruits were provided to all the participants at the end of the programme.

Earlier, to mark the beginning of the 4thInternational Yoga Day the University decided to start a series of functions 50 days prior to the event from 2nd May, 2018.

The first programme was a ‘Yogathon’ in the morning of 2nd May, 2018, a run organised to spread the message of yoga among the University fraternity. A large number of students, faculty members and their families, and non-teaching staff took part in the run. Dr. J.N. Nayak, Registrar, NEHU flagged off the ‘Yogathon’ at 7.00 AM. The programme ended with the distribution of fruits to the participants.

Later the same day lectures on Yoga was held at the V.C. Conference Hall, NEHU, Shillong on the topic ‘Yoga for Total Health’. Two eminent scholars, Swami Vedsarananandji Maharaj, a very senior scholar from Ramakrishna Mission, Shillong Kendra and Mr. Sameer Jolly, a senior yoga teacher from Art of Living, Pandu Ashram, Guwahati Kendra, delivered the lectures. A large number of students, faculty members, non-teaching staff were present in the lecture Hall.

The second programme was an 8-day Yoga Camp (from May 12-19, 2018) held at the Community Hall, NEHU from 7:30 to 8:30 AM. The practice session on yoga was conducted by Patanjali Yoga Kendra, Shillong. The Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and a large number of students, teachers, staff and their family members attended the yoga camp.