CULTURAL EVENTSNEWS & EVENTS

International Day of Yoga and its Celebration in Greece

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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014. General Assembly Vice-President Álvaro Mendonca E Moura (Portugal) delivering a statement on behalf of General Assembly President Sam Kutesa (Uganda), in which he noted the overwhelming support that the resolution on yoga had received, with more than 170 co-sponsors, congratulated the Honourable Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for this initiative. (Read the statement HERE). The celebration of the International Day of Yoga will be held for the first time on June 21, 2015 in more than 150 countries.

CELEBRATION IN GREECE

In Greece, the celebration of the International Day of Yoga will take place within the framework of the Open Yoga Day to be held on June 21, 2015 in Nea Smyrni Park and parallel events are scheduled in Thessaloniki, Patras, Chania, Heraklion, Egoumenitsa and other cities.

Organizers of the celebrations are the  Indian  Embassy  in  Greece, the  Hellenic  Yoga Association, “The Year of Yoga – 2015” and the Municipality of Nea Smyrni hosting the main event in Athens.

Workshops will  start  at  11 a.m. with Yoga for harmony and peace that  will include a complete set of common Yoga exercises for 35 minutes.  More than 40  schools, which  represent  different  traditions of Yoga will participate and will provide free lessons to the public.  The program includes, among others, workshops for children, teenagers, pregnant women and the middle aged. Documentaries on Yoga and its values will also be shown throughout the day in a special pavilion at Nea Smyrni Park.

Later, in the evening, an event will be held from 20:30 to 23:00 hrs at the same venue. The Ambassador of India to Greece, Mr. Tsewang Topden, will make opening  remarks, followed by an address by Indologist and Chairman of the Hellenic-Indian Society for Culture & Development, Dr. Dimitrios Vassiliadis and salutations from pioneer Yoga instructors of Greece. Ms. Leda Shantala of the multicultural centre “Shantom” will perform a synthesis of Indian and ancient Greek classical dance. There will also be performances of popular vocalist Ms. Nadia Zahoor and well-known musician George Mitsikaris (bansuri) and his group.

PROGRAM

See the full program HERE (in Greek).