Amritsar: Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj has said that conducting or organising yoga sessions within gurdwara premises, including langar halls, is against Sikh principles and will not be permitted.
Addressing the congregation during the Miri Piri Khalsa March, the acting Jathedar said Akal Takht had earlier received complaints regarding yoga classes being conducted inside gurdwaras and had already directed that such activities should not take place within gurdwara premises.
His remarks come after a yoga session held in a gurdwara’s langar hall under the Punjab government’s CM Di Yogshala initiative drew criticism, with videos of the event circulating on social media. Some Sikh youths had objected to the programme and later lodged a complaint with Akal Takht.
Giani Gargaj said that, according to Sikh traditions and religious principles, conducting yoga inside gurdwaras amounts to manmat (practices contrary to Sikh teachings) and is not recognised by Sikhism.
He clarified that individuals are free to practise yoga privately at their homes or other appropriate locations, but such activities cannot be allowed within the premises of gurdwaras.
The acting Jathedar also urged gurdwara management committees to remain vigilant and instead encourage the promotion of Gatka, the traditional Sikh martial art.
He also referred to a recent controversy in which a social media vlogger posted photographs of herself performing yoga in the parikrama of Sri Harmandir Sahib. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had taken serious note of the incident and issued a legal notice to the individual.
