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Yoga Day gathering draws 200 attendees in Long Island
More than 200 people gathered at the Long Island Yoga Day celebration organized by online magazine A Lotus in the Mud.
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Staff Reporter - Sat, 20, Jun 2026
- 07:56 EDT
- 37
Consul Mahesh Yadav and Parveen Chopra honored Dr Dattatreyudu Nori, the Chief Guest of the program. / A Lotus in the Mud
More than 200 people attended Yoga Day celebration in Hempstead, New York, on June 14, as wellness and spirituality publication A Lotus in the Mud brought together members of the Indian diaspora and wider community for an evening of reflection, dialogue and cultural programming.
Held at the Vedic Heritage Hanuman Temple, the event featured meditation, yoga, devotional music, dance performances and a panel discussion exploring the role of devotion in spiritual growth.
Also Read: Yoga Day draws large crowd in Washington
Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori, an internationally recognized oncologist and founder of three Shirdi Sai Baba temples in the New York-New Jersey region, attended as chief guest. The Consulate General of India in New York was represented by Mahesh Yadav, consul.
The centerpiece of the program was a panel discussion titled "Devotion as a Superhighway to Spiritual Evolution," moderated by A Lotus in the Mud founder and editor Parveen Chopra. Drawing on Indian philosophical traditions, Chopra highlighted bhakti yoga, or the path of devotion, as an accessible approach to spiritual development.
The panel featured Lama Aria Drolma, an ordained Buddhist nun; author and banker Yakub Mathew; finance executive and artist Nayan Kisnadwala; and yoga teacher Sharon Epstein. Panelists discussed devotion as both a personal discipline and a spiritual gift, emphasizing the relationship between individual effort and divine grace.
In his keynote remarks, Nori spoke about the role of yoga and meditation in cultivating emotional balance and self-awareness.
"Being the witness keeps you away from all the problems," he said, encouraging participants to observe thoughts and emotions without becoming attached to them.
Nori also stressed the importance of maintaining equanimity, saying that life's apparent contradictions are often complementary rather than opposing forces.
Yadav described yoga as one of India's enduring contributions to the world and said devotion strengthens the yogic journey by fostering humility, compassion and a deeper connection with the divine.
The event opened with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony accompanied by Vedic chants led by broadcaster and community leader Ashok Vyas. Community members, religious leaders and local supporters participated in the ceremony.
Attendees also took part in a loving-kindness meditation led by Lama Aria Drolma. Cultural performances included devotional music by Budh Prakash Jasuja and his daughter Nanki, as well as Radha-Krishna-themed dance presentations by Preya Patel and students from Vivarta Arts.
Additional wellness activities included chair yoga and a ribbon dance session led by Anne Moffatt, also known as Aanya Prarthana.
The evening concluded with a charity auction of artwork by Kisnadwala, with proceeds supporting A Lotus in the Mud and Vedic Heritage Inc. Guests later gathered for a vegetarian community meal.
Founded as a nonprofit online publication, A Lotus in the Mud promotes spiritual wisdom, wellness practices and interfaith dialogue through content that draws from multiple traditions and contemporary research.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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