INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

The International Yoga Day was observed in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam on Sunday 21st June with hundreds of  people, the big majority of whom were boys and girls from secondary and primary schools. It was observed with Yoga exercise on the sandy Coco beach with diplomatic staff of the India High Commission led by Deputy High Commissioner Hon. Robert Shekintong.

The Yoga exercises started immediately after sunrise with instructions being heard loud and clear in English language and immediately translated into the National language Kiswahili. Despite some mistakes here and there, by young followers, the exercises and concentration went very well.

The Deputy High Commissioner welcomed the hundreds of people to the event, many of them looked very enthusiastic because Yoga was a new form and style of exercise. To make things a bit easier, the Organizers distributed a 12-page booklet in Kiswahili "Mazoezi rahisi ya Yoga kwa maisha yenye afya" which in simple English to read as "Exercise of Yoga made simple for a healthy life". Under the official emblem of the International Day of Yoga reads YOGA FOR HARMONY AND PEACE.

Immediately after the three hours event, a photo exhibition of Yoga was officially opened by the Deputy High Commissioner by lighting a "diwa" oil based candle at the India Cultural Centre. The First Secretary of the High Commission, Madame Deepa Sehgal also performed the short lighting ceremony.

It was in September 2014 during the Seating of the UN National Assembly, the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi addressed the assembly and put forward the motion for recognition of Yoga as an International Yoga Day on 21st June. This was approved by 177 Member States including Tanzania.

In India's capital New Delhi, His Excellency Narendra Modi led a contingent of almost 30,000 Indians to perform the Yoga physical and mental concentration exercises. This popular event was televised in India and beamed in many countries throughout the world.

The Yoga exercise was reported to have been observed in the coastal town of Tanga, Tabora and Mwanza.

Story & Pictures by Abdul Hai

Bagamoyo News

Deputy High Commissioner of India, Hon. Robert Shekintong lighting the "diwa" to signify the opening ceremony of the Yoga Photo Exhibition at the India Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam.

First Secretary of India H.C. Madame Deepa Sehgal (left) lighting the "diwa" and on right is one of the key figures of the event Madame Deepika Dikshit.

Yoga Enthusiasts going through the posters of Yoga.

A Japanese National who appeared to be impressed with the photo exhibition tries to imitate the symbolic statue.