Yoga, which is rooted in Indian scriptures and tradition, has but a few takers among the Indians. The Indian government encourages yoga as a cultural practice, promoting physical and spiritual health. However, a new PEW Research Centre survey shows that most Indians do not practice yoga.
In the survey, the PEW Research Centre found that about a third of Indian adults (about 35 percent) said that they ever practice yoga. This includes 22 per cent who say they do so monthly or less, and even fewer who do so daily (seven per cent) or weekly (six per cent).
RELIGION
The Pew Research Centre survey showed that about six-in-ten Indians (about 62 per cent), including an identical share of Hindus, never practice yoga. Though this traditional practise has its deep roots in Hinduism, the Pew Centre said that Hindus are not the religious group most likely to practice it in the country. On the contrary, 38 per cent of Indian Buddhists and 36 per cent of Hindus are about equally likely to practice yoga, while fewer than one-third of Muslims (29 per cent) and Christians (24 per cent) in India do so.
YOUNG
Among the Indians, yoga is widely practiced among college graduates than among those with less education. It found that 56 per cent of college graduates practice yoga even as only 33 per cent of those with less education practice this. The survey points out that yoga is more common among men and younger adults than among women and older adults.
