Yoga to relieve inmates in Baripada Jail

Baripada, Sep 4 (UNI) Prisoners in the nearly 122-year Baripada Circle Jail have taken the yogic route to relieve mental and physical stress and rejuvenate their health and energy.

Yoga and spiritual activities have become a part of the jail's curriculum since sometime past, said Sibdas Chand, senior Superintendent of the jail.

''A good number of inmates are now opting for yoga and spiritual activities so that these can serve as effective instruments in tackling stress,'' Chand said.

Three women serving life term in the jail for killing their husbands spoke about how yoga had changed them.

''I feel as if I am now back to the mainstream after the yogic exercises,'' said Parvati Behera.

Mrs Rajani Mahakud said she felt as if a celestial light had entered her after she took to yoga.

Thanks to the initiatives taken up by V.Thiagarajan, Inspector General of Prisons and Director of Correctional Services Orissa, who introduced a nine-day ''Art of Living'' course at the jail in August, at least 72 prisoners, including 16 women, participated and benefited from the course.

The senior jail Superintendent said most of the participants were lifers and they were still continuing their yoga.

The inmates also evinced keen interest in other spiritual activities like 'bhajan' and 'kirtan', Chand added.

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan that marked the conclusion of the 'Art of Living course', the prisoners staged a spiritual theme based one act play, jail sources said.

UNI