India to organise Yoga Day events in 191 countries, including Pak on June 21: ICCR

New Delhi: India will organise thematic events and programmes in 1,300 cities across the globe to mark the International Day of Yoga on Saturday, showcasing the nation's ancient tradition and soft power.

The Indian High Commission in Pakistan is also organising a yoga event in Islamabad on the occasion, according to a statement issued on Friday by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the cultural arm of the Ministry of External Affairs.

"On the 10th anniversary of International Day of Yoga, we will practically cover every country in the world where yoga events are being organised. In some countries like the US, we are hosting multiple events across various cities," ICCR's Director General, K Nandini Singla, was quoted as saying in a statement.

The ICCR will organise various yoga events and programmes in 191 countries on June 21 to mark the IDY, with more than 2,000 events to be hosted at 1,300 locations, covering multiple cities in various nations, it said.

Additionally, the ICCR is also hosting 'Yoga Bandhan', a signature event of IDY 2025, where 17 yoga gurus and practitioners from 15 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Russia, China, South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore and South Korea, will lead the Yoga Day events across India, Singla said.

In Delhi, yoga events will be led by these foreign yoga gurus at Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, Purana Quila and Humayun's Tomb, while similar 'Yoga Bandhan' programmes will be organised at iconic locations in Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Gwalior and other cities, she added.

Just as yoga is a 'union' between ' Atma' and 'Paramatma', 'Yoga Bandhan' seeks to "unite India and the world', the ICCR's DG said.

"It is a matter of great satisfaction that yoga has come full circle. Yoga went from India to these countries. People abroad learnt yoga, and today they have come back to India to lead yoga demonstrations by Indian people in India," Singla added.

The theme for IDY 2025 is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'.

This theme echoes a vital truth about the interconnectedness of health, sustainability, and the environment, aligning with India's "One Earth, One Family, One Future" vision highlighted during its G20 presidency, the ICCR underlined.

The ICCR DG noted that preparations for IDY- 2025 started several months ago.

"To create awareness about IDY, we did various programmes to mark the 100-day countdown, 75-day countdown, 50-day countdown and 25-day countdown events. Globally, our embassies and consulates hosted special yoga events in the run-up to the IDY," she said.

India's 37 cultural centres in different countries also organised numerous yoga programmes during the last 100 days, Singla added.

Regarding yoga's popularity in foreign countries, she said, "prominent personalities like MPs, legislators, police officers and judges are also learning yoga abroad".

Many people in foreign countries are adopting yoga in their daily lives to stay healthy and beat stress, Singla said, adding that yoga has "truly become a global movement".