PM Oli claims Yoga originated in Nepal, not in India
What's the story
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stoked yet another controversy by claiming that Yoga originated in his country, not in India, a view not shared by a leading expert in Kathmandu.
Speaking at a function organized to observe the International Yoga Day on June 21, Oli said that India was not even born as a separate country when Yoga originated here.
Origin
Lord Shiva propounded the practices of Yoga: Oli
"Yoga originated from this part of the globe. It originated from Uttarakhand. In particular, Nepal was the place of origin of Yoga," Oli said.
Some 15,000 years ago, Shambhunath or Shiva propounded the practices of Yoga. Later on, Maharshi Patanjali developed the philosophy of Yoga in a more refined and systematic manner. Yoga doesn't belong to any particular religion or religious sect, PM said.
Expert talks
PM Oli's claim doesn't represent the complete truth: Expert
A leading Yoga expert of Nepal, Yogacharya GN Saraswati said that PM Oli's claim doesn't represent the complete truth.
He pointed out that yoga originated in the Bharatvarsha, which includes India, Nepal, Pakistan, etc. It was developed by the rishis, who lived and meditated in the Himalayas.
"One should not speak about historical truths without proper study for the sake of popularity," Saraswati said.
Previous claims
Oli previously claimed that Lord Rama was born in Nepal
Last year, Oli had stirred up a controversy by claiming that Lord Rama was born in the Madi area, or Ayodhyapuri, in Nepal's Chitwan district, and not in India's Ayodhya.
He had also ordered the construction of massive temples of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and others there.
Ayodhyapuri, Balmiki Ashram, Devghat where Sita died, are all in Nepal, he had claimed.
Statements
Nepal Foreign Ministry had issued a statement following PM's remarks
Soon after Oli's claim, the Nepal Foreign Ministry was forced to issue a statement saying the remarks of the Prime Minister were not political and had no intention to hurt anyone.
"The Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram," the ministry had said.