Surya namaskar, pranayama similar to Namaz: Yogi Adityanath

March 29, 2017

Lucknow, Mar 29: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said 'surya namaskar' was similar to 'namaz' (prayers) offered by Muslims and those opposing the yogic exercise wanted to divide the society on religious lines. Aditynath, who had in the past lashed out at a section of Muslims for terming the practice of 'surya namaskar' as un-Islamic, said the sun salutation was a beautiful example of religious harmony.

"The namaz offered by Muslims resembles different postures and asanas of surya namaskar including pranayam. "What a beautiful example of harmony (between two religions). But some 'bhogis' who do not believe in yoga, indulged in dividing the society on lines of caste, creed, religion and region among others," he said. "All asanas (postures) in surya namaskar, pranayama activities are similar to the way Namaz is offered by our Muslim brothers. But nobody ever tried to bring them together because few people were interested only in 'bhoga' not yoga," he said.

Aditynath was addressing a gathering on the inaugural day of the three-day UP Yoga Mahotsava here. Taking a jibe at the previous governments at the centre and in the state, he said, "If permission for a similar programme was sought, it would had been dubbed as communal." "Before 2014, even talking about Yoga was considered communal. But things changed after Modi took steps to make Yoga popular across the world," he said, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After various state governments decided to make yoga and surya namaskar compulsory in schools, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had launched a nationwide campaign against it. Aditynath had come out full throttle in support of surya namaskar after a controversy erupted over the inclusion of the exercise in the government's yoga protocol with a section of Muslims saying that their faith does not allow them to practise it.

He had then said that those who see communalism in even Sun God should drown themselves in the sea or live in a dark room for the rest of their lives. Adityanath, a Hindutva mascot, has pledged after taking charge as Chief Minister that there will not be any discrimination on the basis of religion.

Showering praise on the Prime Minister for making yoga a global phenomenon, Adityanath said, "Modi deserves all the credit for the global recognition which yoga has got" and referred to the UN declaring International Yoga Day on June 21. "The number of countries which participated in the International Yoga Day celebrations in 2015 was 175, which went up to 192 in the subsequent year," he said.

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Post-Sabarimala pilgrimage drinking party turns fatal in Udupi; youth killed in midnight brawl

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December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

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December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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