Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Danish Azad Ansari, said here on Wednesday that despite early morning rains and drizzle in many parts of  the state, madrasas in Uttar Pradesh celebrated International Yoga Day in a big way.

The minister joined the Yoga Day celebrations by performing yoga at a madrasa in Gomti Nagar in Lucknow.

“All madrasas in Lucknow and the entire UP observed Yoga Day and performed yoga, which is the best way to stay fit and healthy,” Ansari said.

UP has around 25,000 madrasas, of which around 16,000 are recognised by the Board of Madarsa Education. However, the officials of the Minority Affairs department said the day was observed at all the madrasas.

The Board of Madarsa Education had issued strict directives to all aided and non-aided madrasa to celebrate Yoga Day. On June 17, Jagmohan Singh, Registrar of the Madarsa Education Board had written to all district minority officers of the state, directing them to ensure that the day is observed in all madrasas at district level.

One of the oldest madrasa, Hanfia Jia-ul-Quran in Lucknow’s Bada Chandganj area, too, witnessed grand Yoga Day celebrations where students, teachers and other members of the management gathered at the central hall to practice yoga.

“It is just like going to the gym or jogging. It is just a way to keep oneself stress-free and healthy in the present busy lifestyle,” the instructor told the students while performing yoga on Wednesday.

Besides madrasas, clerics in UP too came out in support of yoga, calling it one of the most effective ways to keep people healthy.

“Yoga is not puja and hence there is no harm in doing yoga. It is a kind of an exercise and in today’s busy lifestyle, yoga is very important for staying fit and healthy,” said Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, a senior Sunni cleric and member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).