The documentary Film 'History of Yoga - the Path of my Ancestors" is the first ever film documentation of this kind in the world on History & Philosophy of Yoga. It traces a 6000-year journey into origin, evolution & development of yoga in the Indian subcontinent. Yoga is India’s signature in the modern times. Indians want its protection from digestion by other cultures and alienation from Indian origin. This film is a humble attempt to authentically preserve, protect and disseminate the knowledge & History of Yoga for generations to come.
Highly researched and well interpreted this documentary is a delight to watch, 6000 years in just 98 minutes!! It is available and both Hindi and English.
Over centuries in India, Yoga has been the core technique in the development of darsanas, socio-political reforms, arts and sciences. To trace its journey we had to search all the major philosophies and living traditions of India within which this highly evolved methods was found to be intertwined.
The project took six years of extensive research and hundreds of permissions for filming. We travelled 35,000 kms through India, Nepal including museums in Europe and the US. Travel covered 137 locations to record from 84 Archaeological sites, 35 Museums, Libraries, Temples and Shrines to collect evidence. We spoke to thirty eminent scholars from the field of Art History, Archaeology, History, Philosophy, Medicine, Literature and Yoga whose insights contributed to elucidate the subject.
The story explores Yoga in Harappa Civilization, Vedas, Jainism, Buddhism. Hath-Yogic practices of medieval times & other peripheral doctrines. The film ends in 19th century where modern science acknowledges the potential of yoga in a new light. India's magnificent Iconography, Temple Art, Diverse Culture & Ancient Relics, Wall paintings, Manuscripts unfold with wisdom of yoga in this path-defining Documentary.
To watch movie 'History of Yoga - the Path of my Ancestors'
1 In English 96 minutes
2 In Hindi 44 minutes
3 In Chinese 44 minutes
4 In Spanish 44 minutes
To hear Rajiv Malhotra talk about the movie
About Film Makers:
Ramji OM, Writer& Co-Director of the film, is an MSc in Mathematics and an ardent practitioner of Yoga. He has studied Indian Philosophy & History. He is currently working as a senior civil servant (IRAS) with Indian Railways.
Deepika Kothari, Producer & Co-director of the film, is a Ph. D in Physics. She has to her credit several scientific papers published in International & National Journals. Presently she is involved in making research based films on Indian Thought with Modern understanding.
She is the granddaughter of Padma Vibhushan Dr D S Kothari, first Scientific Adviser and Chairman, Kothari Commission on Education, who organized the first ever Conference on "Yoga, Science & Man" at New Delhi in 1975. Her father, Dr L K Kothari, a medical Doctor conducted a unique experiment on underground Samadhi state of a Yogi at R N T Medical College, Udaipur in 1970. The results were published in American Heart Journal and created lot of excitement in international Newspapers. This uniquely brought together the historical tradition of Yoga and modern science.
These two incidences inspired us to research the origin & evolution of Yoga over the ages. And film being the best medium to communicate.