Rishikesh, Mar 7 (PTI) Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj on Friday said Rishikesh is not only the gateway to the Char Dham Yatra but is also the international capital of yoga and spirituality.

A week-long international yoga festival concluded here on Friday with foreign practitioners of the discipline from more than a dozen countries participating at the event.

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Speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the festival, Maharaj said sages and saints researched for ages in Uttarakhand to discover the virtues of yoga and 'pranayama' for health which have proved to be a boon for humanity, he said.

Uttarakhand is the place where both the holy Ganga river and yoga, the symbols of India's cultural and spiritual heritage, have originated, he said.

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"Rishikesh has been the land of yoga for centuries. Saints, mahatmas and seekers from all over the world reach Devbhoomi in thousands and lakhs every year, captivated by its peaceful environs," Satpal said .

About 410 participants from India and abroad practised yoga every day at the festival, he said.

Thirty-eight yoga practitioners from countries such as Spain, Canada, Israel, Germany, France, Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Singapore, USA, Mexico, Indonesia and Argentina also participated at the event, the tourism minister said.

The health benefits of yoga and pranayama were proven during the COVID-19 epidemic, he said.

People from all over the world are now embracing yoga and making it an integral part of their lifestyle, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)