The Yoga Institute, worlds oldest Yoga institute, celebrated 100 years of operations with a sparkling two-day fest named Harmony Fest at the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai. The event, which was hosted by Bollywood personality Kabir Bedi, was graced by the likes of President Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, Gaur Gopal Das of ISKCON, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar (Mayor of Mumbai), and Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Y Naik. While the momentous completion of 100 years in itself is a remarkable achievement very few organisations are capable of, the fact that The Yoga Institute managed to pull of one of the biggest wellness programs across two days is in itself telling of the capabilities and aspirations of the organisation.
Gracing the occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind said: Yoga is the soft power of the world, which can bring together people, communities and nations. Yoga is the most valuable gift that India has given to humanity and the world. On the occasion of the 100th year celebration of The Yoga Institute, I wish this historic institution and everyone connected with it, all the best in their efforts to spread the goodness of Yoga for the benefit of the people.
Dr Smt. Hansaji J Yogendras book, Yoga for all, which took 3 years to write, was also launched by Governor of Maharashtra C Vidyasagar Rao, who also presided the event.
Chief Minister of Maharasthra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, while assuring the organisation full support of the state government said: Harmony is a big strength of Yoga, which cleanses the body, mind and soul, and brings an individual closer to nature. I congratulate The Yoga Institute on completing 100 years and celebrating it with the Harmony Fest.
The event
The event, which was organised by The Yoga Institute and held on 28th and 29th December, was completely free to attend. It opened its gates to the attendees at noon on both days and was scheduled to go on till 10 PM. The event was kicked off with the lighting of the lamp by President Kovind, and over the next two days, exciting panels, discussions, and workshops awaited the attendees.
Celebrating the traditional nature of Yoga, the first event scheduled for the Harmony Fest was a session by Swami Chidanand Muni and Sadhvi Bhagwati on the topic Dharma Duty Driven Life. Both the personalities renowned all over for their knowledge, experience, and wisdom, spoke about the meaning and importance of Dharma, and how one can hold and preserve its body and soul through Yoga was as engaging as anybody would have anticipated. The second session was a thought-provoking talk by Gaur Gopal Das. The session dealt with serious and philosophical issues such as detachment, being in a journey where you are a part of something bigger, and the importance of not overthinking was a big attraction for the visitors.
In the last session of the day, Dr Mickey Mehta moderated a panel of Dr H.R. Nagendra, Swami Bharat Bhushan, and Acharya Dr Lokesh Muni. The panel spoke about secrets to mindful and better living.
Bands and stars such as Rekha Bharadwaj and Kabir Café wowed the crowd with their talents. The star attraction of the day was none other than celebrity chef Ranveer Brar, who showed his magic with Sattvic recipes as he spoke about the importance of Traditional Aahar in diet and the role it played along with Yoga and exercise in ensuring good health. The crowd, which was expectedly eager to listen to the celebrity chef talked about the importance of culinary balance, lapped up all the knowledge on offer (while clicking a few pictures of the speaker!)
The second and final day of the event started off with celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, who spoke on the topic Traditional Food vs Trending Food. Raising insightful points, she certainly gave the audience a lot to think about when she spoke about people all consuming superfoods in a country that is the home of Aaharveda. In the second session, Dr Harish Shetty moderated a panel of Dr R. Sankaram, Dr Ravindra Chittal, Dr Lekha Pathak, Dr Govind Khati, Dr P.S. Mamtora, and Dr Shantaram Shetty. All of the panelists, who have achieved unparalleled success in their respective fields, added great insight about how Indian and Modern medicines can complement Yoga and help Indians live a healthier and more holistic lifestyles. In the last session of the event, Dr Bhramanand S Siingh launched the TYI Documentary.
Wondering what the special attraction of the event was? It was a masterclass by another celebrity chef Pankaj Bhadouria! Not only this, there were performances by the likes of Indian Ocean Band, Shankar Mahadevan, and Dharavi Reloaded.