Guv Ravi does 51 push-ups at yoga day event

Madurai/Trichy: Governor R N Ravi on Saturday led the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations in Madurai, stunning the crowd by performing 51 consecutive push-ups on stage following a group yoga session with more than 10,000 students. The event, held at Velammal Global School, began around 8am with enthusiastic participation from students, teachers, and yoga enthusiasts.

During the hour-long session, Ravi, 73, performed various asanas and breathing exercises. He shared practical tips on maintaining correct posture during push-ups and encouraged students to challenge themselves, before he himself went on to perform push-ups 51 times. "Youngsters should aim to do at least 100 push-ups consecutively," he said, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

Addressing the gathering, Ravi described yoga as India's timeless gift to the world. "Each year, the number of participants across the globe continues to grow. Yoga transcends religion, region, and language, it is a universal practice for wellness," he said. Madurai Medical College marked the day with a yoga session at its playground, where over 300 students, paramedical staff, and faculty members participated. Southern Railway also held a special yoga session on Pamban Bridge Control Tower premises. RPF personnel, scouts, guides, and railway staff took part in the early morning event held near the iconic vertical-lift bridge.

In Trichy, the 55th battalion of RPSF, organized yoga demonstration for officers and staff. Trichy division of Southern Railway observed the day at various locations of the division. At the Armed Reserve Police ground, hundreds of police personnel and their family members performed yoga exercises.

BHEL celebrated yoga day at the indoor auditorium of the community centre in Kailasapuram township. Students from RSK HSS, BHEL Matriculation HSS, Boiler Plant GHSS, and Boiler Plant Boys HSS also performed on their school premises. At the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), around 200 people, including faculty, staff, and students, performed yoga exercises at the university auditorium. Vice-chancellor M Krishnan expressed pride in the selection of student Rakesh from Kendriya Vidyalaya to perform at the PM's yoga event in Visakhapatnam.