Nandyal: As part of the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations, District Collector G Rajakumari emphasized the importance of incorporating yoga into daily life for better physical and mental well-being.

A grand district-level ‘Yogandhra’ event was held at Tekke Market Yard in Nandyal on Saturday. The event was marked by widespread participation, with officials and citizens joining in synchrony with the national event broadcast live from Visakhapatnam, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu led the proceedings.

The Collector, along with MLC Ishaq Basha, District SP Adhiraj Singh Rana, Joint Collector C Vishnucharan, former minister Erasu Prathap Reddy, district officials, public representatives, students, and the general public—totaling over 5,500 participants—performed yoga asanas as per the national protocol. She noted that the State Government’s flagship initiative ‘Yogandhra’ had been actively implemented from May 21 to June 21, during which a variety of yoga-related activities were conducted across 5,500 locations, engaging more than 9 lakh people throughout the district.

She extended her gratitude to all participants and acknowledged the role of yoga organisations such as Patanjali, Ramachandra Mission, and Yoga Chaitanya Mandali in providing training at village and mandal levels. She commended the efforts of master trainers, health departments, municipal bodies, and Ayush officials for their consistent work in promoting yoga over the past month.

She reiterated that the primary goal of both Central and State Governments is to encourage enthusiastic participation in yoga and build a healthier society.

She said the government’s vision to transform Andhra Pradesh into a “Healthy and Wealthy” state is being implemented actively by the district administration. She thanked public representatives, media personnel, and the public for their immense cooperation in making the Yogandhra initiative a success.

Certificates of appreciation were also presented to yoga instructors during the event, which was attended by key officials including DM&HO Dr Venkataramana, Municipal Commissioner Seshanna, Ayush Medical Officer Dr Yashodhara, RDO Viswanath, and several others.