Feature: Enthusiast Nepalese turn busy street into yoga camp to mark Intl Day of Yoga

Nepal's one of the busiest shopping street, also known as the heart of capital city, Durbar Marg turned into a Yoga avenue for more than a hour on Tuesday morning as thousands of people gathered to practice yoga.

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, deputy prime ministers, ministers, members of Parliament, dignitaries along with people from all walks of life participated in the mega event hosted by the Nepal government on the occasion of 2nd International Day of Yoga.

Clad in cream-colored attire with an additional layer of white t-shirt, 64-year-old Prime Minister along with the First Lady Radhika Shakya led the mass of people by sitting in a cross-legged yoga posture in a front-row.

Though national and international photo journalists were in rush to capture the movements of Nepalese PM, they were compelled to return empty handed as the PM couldn't perform yoga postures due to his regular ailments.

However, despite of the health problems, Oli attempted the soothing Om' chanting and added energy and enthusiasm on the general yoga followers.

Addressing the yoga-enthusiasts after getting into stage, Nepalese PM Oli said that the discipline of yoga doesn't belong to any specific religion, age group or section of society but it's common for all.

"Yoga is not for any specific caste, religion or location. It is a common knowledge that enables us to maintain healthy body and healthy mind. It has been created for the welfare of all human lives", the Prime Minister said in the back-drop of Narayanhiti Palace turned Museum.

Taking credit of origin of this ancient discipline in the holy Nepalese land, he highlighted on transforming the society through brotherhood with the help of spiritual practice of yoga.

The Prime Minister further mentioned that yoga is based on scientific research. Yoga, he added, helps to give the message of unity to the world amid chaos and evils.

According to the Hindu mythology, Yoga was a scared knowledge of Lord Shiva who is regarded as the most powerful of all Hindu Gods. It is believed that Lord Shiva created humans named as Machendranath Yogi and later Gorakchyanath in the holy spot of the Himalayan country, who perfected the art of Yoga and spread the teachings.

Yoga is believed to enable a new dimension of oneness as it unites bodies and mind leading to completeness.

40-year-old Yadav Neupane, a Yoga Instructor who has been practicing Yoga since last 10 years in Bhaktapur told Xinhua on the spot "Yoga has a history of thousand years in our land. It is very much essential to our daily life. Our life style which has been spoiled by the junk food and pollution in environment will be transformed into a healthy one only through Yoga. "

According to the instructors, maximum of the yoga followers in the country are women. They have a routine of gathering in local yoga centers every morning from 6 to 7 am and practicing different postures. Most of the participants on street yoga camp were also women, dressed in traditional white kurtha salwar.

Having been suffering from various health problems like gastritis, diabetes and uterus ailments, Nepalese women regard yoga as a perfect medium to remain healthy.

"I started practicing Yoga two years back. At that time, I had infection in uterus and urine. But now, I don't have any of those problems, Yoga brought a miraculous change in my life", 35-year-old Muna Pokharel, a beautician by profession shared with Xinhua.

This is the first time that Nepal government organized a mass celebratory event to mark the International Day of Yoga, which was declared by the United Nations in 2015.

Ministry of Education in joint coordination with Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation organized various yoga camps across the capital city. Thousands of school students of valley also participated in yoga demonstrations in schools to explore the new dimension of self and clarity. Endit