Monday, Jun 23, 2025 12:06:29
“When we hold hands in prayer, in yoga, in solidarity—we rise not as individuals but as one resilient India,” declared Amruta Devendra Fadnavis, as the Dome SVP Stadium in Worli transformed into a sanctuary of soul and strength on International Yoga Day. Leading the movement, Fadnavis and her NGO Divyaj Foundation gathered more than 1,000 marginalised women—BMC sweepers, hospital staff, transgender citizens, vocational trainees, and others—for a celebration of healing that stretched far beyond the yoga mat.
Fadnavis roped in Bollywood actors Arjun Kapoor and Nushrratt Bharuccha to lend their presence, solidarity, and spirit. “Yoga connects us not just with our breath, but with each other. I was proud to support an initiative that honoured the strength of women who quietly carry our world,” Kapoor shared. Bharuccha added, “Empowerment begins with empathy; it was moving to witness so many women unite in grace and resilience.”
The morning opened with a soulful Ganesh Vandana by the children of Mitti Ke Sitare, whose musical talents bloom under Divyaj Foundation’s care, followed by an inspiring yoga session curated by holistic-health guru Dr Mickey Mehta. “Yoga isn’t just a workout—it’s a work-in,” he said. “And when done with seva, it becomes magic.”
More than asanas filled the stadium. Modules on patriotism, meditation, health and hygiene, emotional wellness, and financial literacy equipped participants with tools for life far beyond the mat. “In the shadow of grief, we gathered not in despair but in resolve—our mats became prayer grounds, our hands bridges of strength,” Fadnavis noted, paying tribute to the martyrs of Pahalgam.
Municipal Commissioner Shri Bhushan Gagrani, IAS, called the gathering “a beautiful reminder that wellness is a right, not a luxury.” Mazhar Nadiadwala, Managing Director of Dome Entertainment, added, “We are immensely proud to be associated with Divyaj Foundation and Amruta Fadnavis. She is a woman of substance who empowers the world with her power of goodness. Kudos to women power!”
With wellness kits distributed and a spirit of community woven into every breath and movement, this Yoga Day became more than an occasion—it became a memory, a message, and a movement held together by heart, harmony, and humanity.
