YOGA SPORT –A CATALYST TO ENTICE CHILDREN TO YOGA

August 18, 2005

A report on the 20th Pondicherry state and 2nd Tamil Nadu state Yoga Sport Championship 2005 and 99th Jayanthi of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj held from in August 2005

“Yoga Sport is the best activity for the youth of our beloved country as it entails virtually no infrastructure nor equipment that is required in other sports such as Cricket, Football, Hockey etc. It acts as a catalyst in stimulating the youth to take up a holistic practice of Yoga that has been scientifically proved to be of great physical, mental and emotional benefit for the individual. Yoga is a preventive science and by our youth taking up its practice we can save great man power and money power of our nation that is otherwise pumped into the health (disease!) system”. With these words Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani welcomed the nearly 800 participants, coaches, Yoga experts, juries and invites to the inauguration of the 20th Pondicherry state and 2nd Tamil Nadu state Yoga Sport Championship 2005 and 99th Jayanthi of

Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj held from 13th to 15th August 2005 at Pondicherry , South India.

30 teams from all over Tamil Nadu including Neyveli, Tanjore, Trichy, Erode, Coimbatore, Chennai, Madurai, Karur, Vilupuram, Cuddalore, Chidambaram as well as the wide areas of Pondicherry attended the championship in full strength. More than 200 competitions were held for the participants from 8 am to 9 pm on the 14th August in common group, forward bending, hand balancing, twisting, standing and back bending events. 600 medals and 1200 merit certificates were awarded for male and female categories separately in 6 different age groups.

Winners of the Championship Awards 2005 were D Venkatesan (Under 16 -Pondicherry male), R Balaji (Above 16 - Pondicherry male), R Sruthi (Under 16 -Pondicherry female), P Ramadoss (Above 16 – Tamil Nadu male), S Yuva Raj (Under 16 –Tamil Nadu male) and J Amsa Priya (Below 16 – Tamil Nadu female). A special championship was awarded to D Parameswaran of Chennai for his outstanding performance in various events.

Earlier the 99th Jayanthi of Yogamaharishi Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj was celebrated on the 13th August 2005 with a spectacular dance drama, “ JAYADEVA’S DASAVATHARA” that was premiered by Yoganjali Natyalayam. Kalaimamani Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani directed this unique production featuring acrobatic Natya Karanas and original choreography with the assistance of Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani and Smt. Devasena Bhavanani who also played Mridungam and Nattuvangam respectively. More than 40 Bharat Natyam artists and accompanists created a thrilling artistic extravaganza of music, dance, and drama to depict the Dasavathara or ten incarnations of Lord Krishna as envisioned by the great poet Shri Jayadeva. Lord Krishna (excellently portrayed by Shreya Agrawal) was depicted as the source from which all the other ten Avatars emanate at

different times in the history of mankind. Spectacular choreography was used to bring the ten Avatars to life on stage in the incarnations of Matsya (the fish incarnation that saved the Vedas at the time of Pralaya), Kurma (the tortoise incarnation that withstood the great mountain at the time of the churning by the Devas and Asuras), Varaha (the wild boar incarnation that saved the earth from eternal submersion), Narasimha (the man-lion incarnation that tore apart Hiranyakashipu and saved Prahalada), Vamana (the dwarf incarnation that humbled King Bali and measured the three worlds), Parasurama (the incarnation with the axe who destroyed the Kshatriya race 21 times over), Rama (the valiant incarnation and the Purna Purusha who destroyed Ravana), Balarama (the plough carrier who conquered the Yamuna), Buddha (the compassionate one who taught the eight fold path to oneness), and Kalki (the tenth

incarnation who destroys all evil once and for all). Spontaneous applause greeted the performers numerous times throughout the performance as the huge audience enjoyed every moment of the dance drama.

Thiru R. SIVA MLA Orleanpet Constituency inaugurated the 20th Yoga Sport Championship in the presence of Thiru M Ramalingam (Retd SP), Administrative Officer, Pondicherry State Sports Council, Dr Asana R Andiappan, President, Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association and Dr S Viswanathan, Director Yoga Centre, Annamalai University. Dr Nalini Devi of Gitananda Yoga -Spain and Kalaimamani E Pattabiraman the well known Tamil poet were special guests of the evening.

Dr Asana R Andiappan, President of Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association was felicitated on the occasion on being Awarded the PATANJALI AWARD 2005 as well as for being nominated as Vice President of the CCRYN, Ministry of Health, Govt of India, New Delhi.

“YOGA CHEMMAL” Awards were presented to Shri C Shanmugam, Shri Sendil Kumar and Shri O Gangadharan of Pondicherry and Shri TA Krishnan, Shri Anthony Yesudas and Dr S Viswanathan of Tamil Nadu in recognition of their service for the cause of Yoga. Senior Artistes of Pondicherry, Shri G Anthony and Shri S Gopal were also honoured on the occasion. Smt Jyothirmayi and Shri T Srinivasan received Yoganjali Natyalayam’s NADA YOGA SHIRONMANI AWARD for their service towards the cause of classical music.

The championship concluded with a colourful Valedictory Function on Monday, 15th August 2005 with distribution of prizes and awards by Thiru R.V. JANAKIRAMAN, Hon. Leader of the Opposition- Pondicherry Legislature and Dr M RAMADASS, Pondicherry MP to Lok Sabha. Thiru R.V. Janakiraman, the former Chief Minster of Pondicherry assured the gathering of Yoga enthusiasts that he would support the cause of Yoga Sport and Yoga in schools of Pondicherry in his capacity as leader of the opposition. He also praised the work of Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani and Swami Gitananda Giri in propagating Yoga amongst the youth of Pondicherry despites numerous obstacles and hindrances in the past.

Dr M RAMADASS, MP recollected the spell binding performance of Yoga-dance by Yoganjali Natyalayam for a Parliamentary delegation that visited Pondicherry recently. He expressed his pride at being the Pondicherry representative when the visiting MPs conveyed their appreciation of that performance to him recently at New Delhi. He congratulated Amma, Meenakshi Devi on her yeoman service and hoped that Yoga would be included in the Olympics in the near future as a result of all our concentrated efforts towards the goal.

Shri AM Krishnamurthy MLA Reddiarpalayam remembered Swami Gitananda’s role in the upliftment of the downtrodden through the Yoga and Indian Cultural Arts of Bharata Natyam and Carnatic music and support for the Ganesh Chaturthi Festivals for the past 20 years. Dr Saravanan Padmanaban, Prof Madanmohan and Dr Sugatham also graced the occasion.

Students of SADAY, a school for mentally challenged special children presented a heart warming yoga demonstration on the occasion along with Lalith Kumar, a visually and mentally challenged special youth from Chidambaram.

Pondicherry Yogasana Association is recognised by the International Yoga Federation (South America) as well as the Asian Union of Yoga (New Delhi) and affiliated to the Indian Yoga Federation (Kolkata). Founded by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj in 1975, the PYA has been active in conducting Yoga Sport events such as 20 Pondicherry State Level Yoga Sport Championships, five Swami Gitananda Best Youth and Child Award Competitions and the State Level ‘Himalaya’ Yoga Olympiad Competition in 2001.

Pondicherry Yogasana Association’s YOGA SPORT CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 was organised with the blessings of the INTERNATIONAL YOGA FEDERATION (South America), INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOGA SPORT (New Delhi and South America), ASIAN UNION OF YOGA (New Delhi), INDIAN YOGA FEDERATION (Kolkata), and the TAMIL NADU STATE YOGASANA ASSOCIATION (Chennai)

DINA MALAR, OM SAKTHI REAL AGENCY, INTEGRA SOFTWARE SERVICES, Creations Constructions, Jyoti Eye Care Hospital, Karthik Groups, Jewel Palace, Pioneer Miyagi Chemicals Pvt Ltd, P. T. P. Trust, and Sri Rajendra Scientific and Surgicals sponsored the championship.

Sincere volunteers who made the event a grand success included Samiksha Kapoor, R Varalakshmi, M Shailaja, S Tamilsengolan, G Dayanidy, R Chandrasekar, S Kaviarasan, G Kanimozhi, I Krishnaveni, U Gokila, V Renukadevi, Pa Ragaramya, Reena Joseph, R Balaji, G Sarulatha, G Saranya, Sri Sendil Kumar and Sri Kulandaivelu.

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

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