@ Vikas Sharma | Sr Journalist
New Delhi: Compassion takes centre stage on International Day of Yoga 2020. This year, it also happens to be World Music Day. Heartfulness Institute, in partnership with the Ministry of AYUSH and the United Nations Department of Public Information, will be hosting a global Yogathon, with a call to make compassion contagious, music, conversations on Yoga, and an opportunity to meditate together. This event has the overwhelming support of more than 500 social, professional and cultural organizations in North America and India.
As we continue to figure out how to face the challenges caused by the pandemic, and the personal, financial and social challenges of our times, the need to live a life of compassion is paramount. Compassion will help soothe hearts laden with fear and insecurity about the future. This event will showcase the need for compassion and will inspire people how to live a life of compassion. The transformative powers of compassion have been chronicled extensively in all the great world scriptures, and it is time for us to remind ourselves of them.
The following luminaries will be taking part in the Yogathon: Kamlesh Patel (Daaji), Guide of Heartfulness; YogRishi Baba Ramdev; AYUSH Minister, Shripad Naik; The Indian PM’s Sherpa, Shri Suresh Prabhu; UNIC India Officer-in-Charge, Rajeev Chandran; musicians Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj, Padma Vibhushan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Padma Shri Shankar Mahadevan; wellness experts Shaina NC and Mickey Mehta; sports stars PV Sindhu, VVS Laxman, Navdeep Saini; actors Omi Vaidya, Sudhanshu Pandey, and others.
Commenting on the theme of the event, Daaji said, “Compassion is contagious and can transmit faster than any virus, while making us stronger. International Day of Yoga is a very apt platform to spread the message of compassion, and celebrities from all walks of life have readily agreed to lend their voice to this cause. This international Yogathon will help bring consciousness to the need for more elevated acts of compassion, allowing all our lives to be more peaceful and meaningful.
The event will go live on 20 June 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time in the US and on 21 June 2020 at 7 a.m. in India.
Commenting on the Yogathon as a co-host Mr.Shripad Naik said, “ This International yoga day 2020 will be a significant milestone in the journey of bringing yoga practices to the world. This vision inspired by our Honorable Prime Minister is now adopted by the United Nations and is a global movement. The tradition of yoga is time immemorial and is another contribution to the heritage of the world, a fact that should make all Indians proud wherever there are. It is our responsibility to nurture and share the benefit of this phenomenal practice so that the future generations are also able to enjoy this gift to mankind.”
The 500 plus partners organizations who are lending support to this event include top organizations such from corporations, social transformation organization, International and National Government bodies amongst other and include the following DDFC, UCO Bank, SBI, NTPC, BHEL, Port Association of India, Reliance Jio, GICPL, Delhi Police, SEBI, GACL, Indigo Airlines, Sewa International, AIM for Sewa, AAPI, TANA, TAMA, ATA being the notable.
