Visakhapatnam: Witha participation of 3.02 lakh, Visakhapatnam created history by gaining a place in Guinness World Records for the largest gathering for yoga in one place, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said.

Appreciating ministers, district officials, public representatives and more importantly people of Visakhapatnam for their complete cooperation in making the 11th edition of the International Yoga Day a resounding success, Naidu emphasised at a media conference that public cooperation is key to massive turnout. “This is just the beginning of ambitious plans the NDA has in store in promoting public health and wellness,” the CM emphasised.

When asked whether the state government has any concrete action plan to make the state happy and wealthy, the Chief Minister told The Hans India, “Yes, our focus is on developing ‘wealthy, healthy and happy Andhra Pradesh’. And we are very much focusing on all the three verticals simultaneously. By striking a balance among welfare, empowerment and P4 (public-private-people-partnership), we are preparing a vision document for Swarna Andhra @ 2047,” the CM elaborated.

With technology playing a crucial role in making the IYD event a hassle-free affair, Naidu said that the record participation could become a reality due to the incorporation of technology, including the introduction of QR code-based participant tracking system.

With two Guinness World Records, including 22,122 tribal students performing Surya namaskarams on the eve of the International Yoga Day, the massive event gained entry into 21 World Book of Records. Sharing the statistics, Naidu stated that even as the cabinet ministers raised doubts when he called for a record breaking IYD celebrations, eventually, they reposed faith in his aspiration and extended complete support to the biggest endeavour organised ever in Visakhapatnam.

“Within a short span of time, ‘Yogandhra-2025’ garnered extensive support from across the people of Andhra Pradesh as they place trust in my leadership and are aware of the benefits yoga offers,” the Chief Minister stressed, adding that people volunteered happily for the event without any force.

Recalling how people of Visakhapatnam refrained from bursting crackers when the CM called out for Diwali celebrations sans firecrackers as Hudhud cyclone left a trail of devastation in 2014, Naidu underlined, “It is with the same spirit, Vizagites volunteered to make the IYD event a massive success.”

About Prime Minister Narendra Modi specially appreciating IT and industries minister Nara Lokesh’s efforts in making yoga a true social celebration, Naidu stated that Lokesh succeeded in planning out 26 theme-based yoga events in a short span of time and his efforts caught the attention of the Prime Minister.