My cup of tea
During my last visit to India some of my relatives asked me what I missed most from my life in India in the US. I did not have an immediate answer, but thought about that question off and on for a long time.
Two International yoga festivals are presently underway in Rishikesh. The different versions of yoga festival, one hosted by Uttarakhand Tourism Department and other by an Ashram, clearly indicate some differences exist between the two organisers.
Both the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), a tourism unit of Uttarakhand government, and Parmarth Niketan began the festival from 1 March.
Vice-president of India M. Venkaiah Naidu and Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Rawat attended the yoga festival hosted at Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh on Saturday.
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But, Uttarakhand tourism minister Satpal Maharaj remained absent from the Parmath Niketan programme. The tussle between tourism department and the Ashram is old as before the formation of a separate hill state. Uttar Pradesh Tourism used to host the International yoga week.
The Garhwal Mandavall Vikas Nigam is hosting the International yoga festival at the Ganga Resort and this time special focus is on commemorating the 50 year of Beatles arrival in Rishikesh.
For this the department of Tourism is hosting a series of event in Rishikesh on 4, 5, and 6 March. A Beatles Tribute band from London has been invited to Rishikesh to pay tribute to The Beatles and relive the memories.
On 1 March, chief minister Rawat had inaugurated the International yoga festival and on Saturday he was at the Ashram. Despite claiming participation, the Parmarth Niketan had to upload a letter of Rawat on their twitter handle.
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