Chandigarh, March 23 — The Government College of Yoga Education and Health, in collaboration with the Haryana Yog Aayog and under the aegis of Chandigarh’s Directorate of Higher Education and AYUSH department, hosted a Surya Namaskar event as part of the Sankalp Poorti Samaroh at its Sector 23-A campus.
Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria attended as the chief guest, alongside senior officials, including Chandigarh Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, Haryana Yog Aayog Chairman Jaideep Arya, Chandigarh Health Secretary Ajay Chagti, AYUSH Director Akhil Kumar, and Higher Education Director Rubinderjit Singh Brar.
Kataria urged people to adopt a yogic lifestyle, sharing that he practices yoga daily as part of his dincharya (daily routine). He mentioned the health benefits of performing yoga during Brahma Muhurta (pre-dawn period), calling it essential for individual and societal well-being. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting yoga globally and encouraged the audience to preserve and promote this ancient Indian practice. “Sanskrit is the foundation of Indian culture,” he added, stressing the language’s cultural significance.
During the event, Kataria felicitated Dr Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, corresponding faculty member at Harvard Medical School, USA; Dr Akshay Anand, professor in-charge of CCRYN Centre at PGIMER; and Jaideep Arya for their contributions to yoga research and global promotion.
Chagti announced that Chandigarh will observe “Fitness Day” on the third Saturday of every month to promote yoga, walkathons, cycling, and swimming among residents.
Arya highlighted Haryana’s initiatives, including integrating yoga into school curriculums and introducing a Yoga Protocol for the army, air force, ITBP, and CRPF. He encouraged other states to adopt similar measures.
A major highlight was the presentation of the Golden Book of World Record award to Haryana Yog Aayog for organizing the largest Surya Namaskar event, with 10,794 institutions participating in the 2025 project.
The event featured a yoga demonstration by college students before participants, including army personnel, medical college representatives, homeopathy and AYUSH instructors, and yoga enthusiasts, performed six coordinated rounds of Surya Namaskar.
Other dignitaries included Nemi Chand, state liaison officer; Shashi Wahi, principal of Commerce College; Mange Ram from Haryana Vidhan Sabha; and representatives from Patanjali, Yogasana Bharat, and various Chandigarh colleges.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Akhil Kumar, who acknowledged the dignitaries and participants for their support.
