Coimbatore: The Science-20 Summit meeting of the G20 was held at Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore. One hundred delegates from across the 20 member countries visited the Centre. The delegates were offered a display of Indian culture and yogic tradition.
The event, which was conducted from July 21 to July 22, 2023, around 35 foreign delegates and 65 Indian delegates from reputed institutes around the world gathered to discuss the themes of Clean Energy for a Greener Future, Universal Holistic Health, and Connecting Science to Society & Culture. The delegates included experts from The Royal Society, United Kingdom; National Academy of Sciences, USA; International Science Council, France; CERN, Switzerland; Indian National Science Academy, amongst others.
“Engineering ourselves into joyful, inclusive human beings is a vital step in our commitment to scientific progress and technological advancement. This is what it takes to change the trajectory of our planet,” said Sadhguru in an interactive session with over 100 delegates, including scientists, academicians, experts and policymakers from around the world who converged at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, for the Science20 (S20) Summit of the G20.
Commenting on a spiritual centre hosting the meet, Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, observed, “I think there’s a better appreciation these days that dry science in the old way has its limits, and certainly, thinking about life in general, not just narrowly about science, requires an understanding of a more wider set of things. So, it’s an interesting place consequently to hold the Science20 meeting here at the Isha Ashram where a somewhat more holistic view can be taken.”
Beginning with a traditional welcome with garlands, drums and flower petals, understanding the technologies of well-being at the iconic 112-feet Adiyogi to immersing themselves in yogic sessions, the delegates got a deeper insight into Indian culture and spirituality. Enthralling performance of classical Indian martial arts – Kalaripayattu – and classical Indian dance – Bharatanatyam – by the Isha Samskriti students, a ride in traditional bullock carts and visit to the consecrated spaces at the centre, all blended to etch a lasting memory among the delegates.
Dr Munir Desouki, President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, expressed, “The theme of the Indian presidency is One Family. So coming together and thinking about how to address the challenges in a place like this was an eye-opener.”
Describing the unique experience of delegates during their stay at Isha, Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Co-Chair, S20, remembered a foreign delegate sharing with him: “If you do a conference at a New York Five Star hotel or a Five-Star hotel in Delhi/Mumbai- there would be no difference. But a place like this would bring new memories and new impressions about India.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Shri Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, Joint Secretary (G20), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, opined, “The aim of both (Science and Spirituality) happens to unravel the question that we all have. I think Science is aiming at deciphering the world, spirituality is also to a large extent aiming at deciphering the truth. So in some sense both kind of follow the same approach, though the usages and the applications can be slightly different. But at the end of the day, I think both work for the betterment of humanity.”
The summit also included a session on the Science of Yoga. Leading the session, Dr. Bala Subramaniam, Professor of Anesthesiology, Harvard Medical School and Director, Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA drew out scientific research establishing the benefits of Isha Kriya, Shoonya and Samyama Meditation offered by Sadhguru in alleviating stress and anxiety levels and improving overall well-being.
Established by Sadhguru, a world-renowned Yogi, mystic and visionary, Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, is a sacred space for self-transformation, drawing people worldwide to dedicate their time towards their inner growth. The center offers all four major paths of yoga – kriya (energy), gnana (knowledge), karma (action), and bhakti (devotion), fostering inner transformation and creating an established state of well-being in individuals. (With Inputs ANI)
