Gorakhpur/Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Saturday that yoga not only ensures a healthy body but also contributes to a sound mind.

Adityanath was speaking on the occasion of the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY), which was celebrated across the state, including at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow, where a large number of people took part in an event.

While Governor Anandiben Patel participated in the Raj Bhavan event, Adityanath led the celebrations in Gorakhpur. Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak participated in IDY events in Ghaziabad and Lucknow, respectively.

Special yoga sessions on the 11th IDY theme of "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" were held from 6 am at designated places across the state.

Addressing a mass yoga session at the Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan auditorium in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said, "Yoga is such a mantra for all of us from the Rishi tradition of India that provides us with a healthy mind along with a healthy body."

"Indian wisdom has made all of us aware of yoga in detail since ancient times," he said, adding that "dharma", "karma", "moksha" -- anything can be achieved only with a healthy body.

Any work of "dharma", be it spiritual uplift, worldly progress or taking forward the cultural heritage, cannot be done without a healthy body, the chief minister said.

"Wishes get fulfilled only when you are healthy. A person can attain spiritual uplift only with a healthy body," he said.

Adityanath said yoga is a gift of India's Rishi tradition. By making it a medium of public welfare, India has paved the way for the world's welfare, he asserted.

The chief minister said it was due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the IDY started being celebrated from June 21, 2015. "Today, not only India, but 190 countries of the world are associated with Yoga Day," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said celebrating the IDY is an effort to express gratitude towards the Rishi tradition and connect the coming generation with its heritage.

According to an official statement, Adityanath watched Modi's live address on the occasion. After that, he performed various "asanas", "pranayama" and practised meditation with the yoga practitioners and trainees at the auditorium.

Yoga is an essential and indispensable part of the chief minister's regular routine, the statement said.

It added that many public representatives, including state Water Power Minister Swatantradev Singh and MP Ravi Kishan Shukla, besides officials, yoga practitioners, trainees and members of the general public practised yoga along with Adityanath at the Gorakhnath temple.

Apart from the Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan auditorium, mass yoga sessions were organised outside the building and in various parts of the temple complex.

The governor participated in a group yoga session on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan at 6 am. A large number of yoga practitioners, Raj Bhavan officers, employees and dignitaries took part in the event.