International Yoga Day: Mangaluru hosts unique 'Jala yoga' event in swimming pool
Mangaluru, June 21 (PTI): As the 11th International Yoga Day is being celebrated with much fanfare everywhere on Saturday, the coastal city of Mangaluru celebrated the occasion with a distinctive aquatic twist—through Jala yoga, or water yoga.
Held at the Mangaluru City Corporation Swimming Pool, the event saw around 40 members of an amateur swimmers’ group perform yoga postures such as Padmasana and Shavasana while floating in 16-feet-deep water.
The organisers of the event highlighted how water yoga—a blend of traditional yoga postures, breathing techniques, and meditation practiced in water—can enhance both physical fitness and mental relaxation.
Adding a creative note to the celebrations, retired Dean of the Mangalore University of Fisheries, S M Shivaprakash, wrote a postcard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi while swimming.
“Dear Modiji, Happy International Yoga Day. I am writing this postcard while swimming in the pool. Fit India – Shivaprakash, Mangaluru,” read the handwritten note that drew attention at the event.
Speaking to reporters, Shivaprakash said, “Prime Minister Modi has taken yoga to the global stage. Yoga is about harmony between the body, mind, and soul. I swim daily, and today I wanted to honour Yoga Day in my own way.”
The event was organised by the amateur swimmers’ group in collaboration with the city’s public swimming pool, under the theme of this year’s Yoga Day: One Earth, One Health.
One of the participants, Chandrahass Shetty, said it was the first time such an aquatic yoga demonstration had been attempted in the city.
Participants reported feeling lighter and more flexible while performing asanas in water, attributing it to reduced pressure on the muscles. They also noted that the buoyancy made it easier to maintain poses for longer durations.
The event, blending physical discipline with creativity and environmental awareness, offered a fresh perspective on yoga and its adaptability. Organisers said the event is aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and demonstrating India’s evolving innovations in wellness practices.
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Mamata demands PM's apology over 'Bankim da' remark in Lok Sabha
Cooch Behar (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he has insulted novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by calling him "Bankim da".
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said the PM was not even born when the country achieved Independence and yet chose to address one of Bengal's greatest cultural icons casually.
"You did not even show him the minimum respect he deserves. You should apologise for this, to the nation," she said.
The flashpoint was PM's reference to the author during a discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram, written by Chattopadhyay.
TMC MP Saugata Roy objected to the use of the suffix 'da' and urged the PM to say 'Bankim babu' instead.
Modi immediately accepted the sentiment, saying, "I will say Bankim 'babu'. Thank you, I respect your sentiments," and asked in a lighter vein whether he could still address Roy as 'dada'.
Targeting the BJP, Banerjee claimed that it will destroy Bengal's culture, language and heritage if it comes to power in the state.
She also claimed that the assembly elections in the state will be declared soon after publication of the final electoral rolls following the SIR exercise, so that no one can challenge it in court.
