The grand finale of Isha Gramotsavam, a social initiative aimed at promoting sports among rural people, was held at Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore on Saturday. The event which began in August has witnessed participation of over 60,000 players, including over 10,000 women, from the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said Isha Gramotsavam has become a social tool to break caste barriers, empower women and revive rural spirit.
“I am glad to know that Isha Gramotsavam has become an effective tool for social transformation that helps villagers move away from addictions, break caste barriers within the community, empower women and revive the resilient rural spirit,” he said.
The minister was accompanied by Sadhguru, founder of Isha Foundation, Tamil actor Santhanam and former Indian hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay.
In the finale, Uthamasolpuram in Salem reigned over FEC Sithurajapuram in Volleyball to grab the top honours. In Throwball, PG Pudur, Coimbatore won the championing trophy with Black Panther from Maragodu, Karnataka finishing a close second.
After an electrifying display of raids and defence, the Erode team defeated the Dindigul team in Women Kabaddi. In the Paralympics Volleyball, Coimbatore Para Volleyball Association beat Kumari Kings, Kanyakumari to win the championship.
“The wonderful initiative undertaken by Sadhguru celebrates rural sports and culture like none other…. Isha Gramotsavam started way back in 2004 aiming to bring health, prosperity and well-being to the rural masses, and I could see the sports persons here, some of them work as labourers, agriculturalists, and fishermen, but I could see the competitive spirit in them,” Thakur said.
Speaking on the occasion Sadhguru, said, “Celebration is the basis of life, and it is possible only when you are playful. So, it's fantastic to see that across 25,000 villages, over 60,000 players and hundreds and thousands of spectators in those villages, all at some point not knowing what they were doing, they would have jumped, screamed, yelled, laughed, and cried. This is what is needed to make life happen.”
Unique in its format, Isha Gramotsavam is not open for professionals, setting the stage for everyday rural folks—from daily wage earners, fishermen, and housewives among others.
