Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday paid tribute to freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi at the MG Memorial Statue at the Piazza Gandhi in Rome.
On this occasion, Patnaik said that he is inspired by the ideals and principles of India's father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.In 2018, during the first meeting of the National Committee for commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Patnaik had proposed that the greatest tribute India could pay to Gandhi on his 150th anniversary was to include the uniquely Indian ideal of Ahimsa, of non-violence, in the preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Patnaik at that time also quoted Mahatma Gandhi that there can be no progress without peace.In 2019, Patnaik had unveiled the Gandhi Talisman in the Lok Seva Bhawan. At that time, he said that the Talisman will inspire all to work selflessly for the cause of the poorest of the poor.
The eighth International Yoga Day is being celebrated across Odisha on Tuesday with people from all walks of life participating in yoga programmes orgsed at several places in the State.
The Centre has selected 75 historical sites including three from Odisha- Srimandir at Puri, Sun temple at Konark and Tampara lake in Ganjam for the celebration of International Yoga Day.
While Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw led the International Day of Yoga celebration from Konark Temple heritage site, Union Minister Mahendra Pandey, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, Puri MLA Jayanta Sarangi and the party's State general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar took part in the yoga session held in Puri.
Meanwhile, renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a seven-foot sand sculpture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing yoga at a beach in Puri to mark the day.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the United Nations General Assembly took a historic decision in 2014 to declare 21st June as the International Day of Yoga (IDY). This worldwide acceptance of Yoga is a matter of pride for our country, as Yoga is an integral part of our nation's cultural and spiritual heritage.
This year International Day of Yoga has fallen in the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" year for which the Ministry of AYUSH has planned to observe the International Day of Yoga at 75 iconic locations across India which will also help in branding India on a global scale.
The theme for this year IDY 2022 was "Yoga for Humty" as it depicted how during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, yoga served the humty in alleviating the suffering and in the emerging post-COVID geo-political scenario too, bring people together through compassion, kindness, foster a sense of unity and build resilience among people world over.
Common Yoga Protocol, Lecture on Yoga by Experts, Yoga Demonstration from yoga experts from R Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education were some of the activities undertaken at the event.
( With inputs from ANI )
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