Yoga has connected the world with India by bringing people together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said as he led celebrations of the 12th International Day of Yoga (IYD) at Red Road in Kolkata.
The Prime Minister’s remarks, against the backdrop of multiple conflicts and geopolitical tensions across the world, came as an argument that yoga, an ancient Indian practice, has significance beyond personal health and wellness, with the potential to promote collective peace and harmony across communities.
“Yoga is not only for a better personal life, but for the future of the world,” Modi said in his inauguration speech.
Celebration at Lok Bhawan
The celebration began at 6.30 am when the Prime Minister arrived at the venue from Lok Bhawan (formerly Raj Bhawan) where he spent the night. He was accompanied by West Bengal Governor RN Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for AYUSH Ministry Prataprao Yadav and other dignitaries.
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“June 21 is the longest day in our part of the world and now is the day when the world celebrates its biggest festival. Yoga has connected the world with India. It brings people together. Today, I extend my best wishes to the global community,” Modi said.
“This year’s theme is Yoga for Healthy Aging. This means that age does not diminish a person’s potential. Yoga can help a person’s life to aspire to growth. Our goal should be to be more active at 50 than we were at 30. We should be more resistant to lifestyle-related diseases at 70 than we were at 50. This is where yoga can help us,” Modi said.
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President Draupadi Murmu said yoga is an invaluable gift of Indian cultural heritage to the world and plays a vital role in guiding humanity towards peace and harmony amidst multiple global challenges.
The President participated in a group yoga session at Garrison Ground in Jabalpur.
“We celebrate India’s great tradition that has shown humanity the way to a healthy, balanced and meaningful life,” she said.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said yoga offers a timeless framework for finding stillness in a chaotic world as he performed yoga at the Supreme Court premises to mark International Yoga Day.
Yoga is the practical vehicle for this philosophy, offering a timeless framework for finding stillness in a chaotic world.
To mark the day, hundreds of students from madrassas in Lakhimpur Khiri and Etah districts of Uttar Pradesh participated in special sessions.
From the famous Taj Mahal in Agra to the famous Warangal Fort in Telangana, yoga sessions were hosted at several ASI locations across the country to celebrate International Yoga Day.
In Shimla, hundreds of people, including foreign tourists, students, security personnel and residents, participated in International Yoga Day celebrations at the historic Ridge Ground, highlighting the growing global appeal of this ancient Indian practice.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) celebrated International Yoga Day in a unique riverine environment by conducting yoga sessions on board ships plying the Brahmaputra River through Assam.
Similar events were organized in Delhi, Imphal, Ranchi, Gangtok, Chandigarh, Vijayawada, Itanagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and Jaipur, among other places, with the participation of governors and chief ministers. A large number of armed forces personnel participated in yoga sessions across the country to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, the Nagaland government has postponed the official program of International Yoga Day celebration to Monday in the face of strong opposition from student bodies, tribal organisations, church and political bodies over holding the event on Sunday in the Christian-majority state.
The School Education Department issued an amended order, directing the School Education Directorate to postpone the celebration of this day in all institutions to June 22.
The Naga Students Federation (NSF) argued that Sunday is a sacred day of worship and that forcing schools to organize yoga programs is a disregard for the constitutional rights and beliefs of the people.
With PTI input
