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India. "They were shocked when I revealed my plans to visit India. Some of them feared that I wouldn't return alive", she said. In spite of the opposition, Cheryl decided to go ahead with her plans. Bubbling with enthusiam, she was one of the hundreds of delegates from all over the world to arrive in Munger recently for the world yoga meet.
Dressed in a T-shirt and white dhoti, Martin from Holland is quite clear about why India is still backward. "Casteridden society and corruption. Yes, the whole world knows about the role of caste in every sphere of an Indians life. And as for corruption, the less said the better," he says. Despite such a grim picture of the country, Martin loves India. He has been living in Trivandrum for the last couple of years, where he is studying a BA course in Sanskrit. He admires India's rich culture and "spiritual atmosphere", and together with his wife has seriously taken up yoga.
The World Yoga Convention organized by the Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, every 20 years attracts much attention from abroad. Ironically, not many Indians are aware of this event or about the existence of the premier yoga institute in Bihar. What is more, most Indians remain ignorant about the multipotent benefits of yoga itself.
But ask any one of the nearly 600 foreign delegates at the yoga convention and they will give a detailed analysis of what would
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seem to be a subject of their very own land. "Yoga may be alien to most Indians but not to most aliens", says one of the delegates.
And this is hardly surprising, for while yoga is a discipline that is too ancient for many Indians, it is a subject of interest and serious devotion for many Europeans and other foreigners.
In Australia, for instance, there is a yoga school in almost every suburb, and despite their cosmopolitan upbringing, most Australians are taking to yoga seriously. Even former Communist countries like Bulgaria and Romania have yoga centers in every town.
Malinov Plamen from Bulgaria is just 14 years old. But he is immensely interested in yoga and India. He says, "Five years ago yoga was banned in our country yet people took to it with enthusiasm. Today, it is a rage. Slovenia has on average six yoga schools in each city and town."
Richard from Australia says, "India may not be as developed as the west but it certainly is superior in spiritual terms." Christina from Switzerland says, "Sprituality is in the air here. In the west one may be looked down upon if he were to sit and meditate. After all, the west is so materialistic."
"It is so nice to see pictures of gods and goddesses on every autorickshaw and bus in India. Indians are so spiritual," says Stephen Cole from England.
The spiritual India is what attracts them all, and therefore,
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