India celebrates International Day of Yoga

"My request to the world-- let this yoga day mark the beginning of yoga for humanity 2.0, where inner peace becomes global policy," PM Narendra Modi said.

New Delhi: Millions across India rolled out their yoga mats and stretched and meditated to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the celebrations from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Dressed in all-white, Modi led a mass yoga demonstration at Visakhapatnam's RK beach and said that at a time when the whole world is going through some kind of tensions, yoga gives a direction of peace and brings oneness.

"Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe, to balance, to become whole again," he said.

"My request to the world-- let this yoga day mark the beginning of yoga for humanity 2.0, where inner peace becomes global policy," the PM said.

He said the theme of this year's International Day of Yoga is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', which reflects a deep truth that the health of every entity on Earth is interconnected.

Human well-being depends on the health of the soil that grows food, on the rivers that give water and the health of animals that share the ecosystem and the plants that nourish, he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his deputy Pawan Kalyan also joined the event.

Addressing a programme at the police lines in Uttarakhand's Dehradun, President Droupadi Murmu described yoga as a shining example of India's soft power and said it has now become a shared legacy of the entire mankind.

"Yoga is not connected with any religion, sect or community. It is an art of leading a healthy life," the President said, appealing to everyone to embrace it as a daily practice for mental and physical well-being.

In his message on International Day of Yoga, Dhankhar said yoga's timeless wisdom has transcended borders to unite humanity in wellness and harmony.

The ancient practice is India's gift to the world that brings peace, strength and unity to millions around the globe, he wrote on X.

"Rooted in India's 5,000-year civilisational heritage, yoga's timeless wisdom has transcended borders to unite humanity in wellness and harmony," he added.

From the icy heights of Siachen Glacier to naval ships anchored in Visakhapatnam, the Indian armed forces also observed the International Day of Yoga across the country, reaffirming their commitment to discipline and inner strength.

A number of Union ministers, governors and chief ministers performed yoga asanas in different corners of the country.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh joined troops of the Army's Northern Command in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur for a yoga session. Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi was also part of the session.

There was a time when yoga was considered limited to saints and seers. But today, people are performing 'surya namaskar' on mats from New York's Times Square to the lawns near the Eiffel Tower. Is it less than a miracle?" Singh said.

This is the "rising soft power" of India and yoga has become its "strongest ambassador", he said.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda led the yoga day celebrations at Kartavya Path in Delhi while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, along with envoys of various countries and other members of the diplomatic corps, performed yoga asanas in the capital's Nehru Park.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta performed asanas on the banks of the Yamuna.

In Uttar Pradesh, Governor Anandiben Patel participated in a yoga day event at the Raj Bhavan while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the celebrations in Gorakhpur.

In Haryana, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was joined by yoga guru Ramdev at the state-level programme held at the Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra.

"Yoga is not just a form of exercise but also an important science to live healthy," Saini said.

Participating in a yoga day event in Baska district's Salbari, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Yoga connects physical, mental and spiritual aspects of a person and helps in living a fulfilling life."

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant appealed to school teachers to practice yoga with students for 15 minutes every day to stay physically and mentally fit.

In Bihar, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan practised yoga in a camp organised at Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.

In December 2014, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. The draft UN General Assembly resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.