Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that yoga has become a global festival as there is a widespread acceptance of the ancient Indian practice. The PM participated in the eighth International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations in Karnataka’s Mysuru. He was joined by tens of thousands of people, including Ministers and commoners across the world, who performed asanas and breathing exercises to mark the Yoga Day.
Speaking before the yoga demonstration which he joined for 45 minutes, Modi said, “The acceptance of that amrit spirit of India which gave energy to India’s freedom struggle. That is why mass yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country.”
President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted that yoga is India’s gift to humanity and it is a holistic approach to health and well-being, balancing mind, body and soul. He also asked everyone to make yoga a part of their daily life and experience its benefits.
The Prime Minister said the physical fitness regime was forming a basis for cooperation among countries, and that it can become a problem-solver.
“Yoga brings peace to our universe and gives the hope of a healthy life to humanity. Yoga brings peace for us, the peace from yoga is not only for individuals, yoga brings peace to our society, nation, the world and the universe,” Modi said, quoting rishis, maharshis and acharyas.
He said, “This might feel like an extreme thought to someone, but our sages have answered this in a simple mantra that this whole universe starts from our own body and soul. The universe starts from us and yoga makes us conscious of everything within us and builds a sense of awareness.”
Stating that things start with self-awareness and proceed to awareness of the world, he said, “When we become aware of ourselves and our world, we begin to spot the things that need to be changed both in ourselves and in the world.
They may be individual problems or global problems like climate change and international conflicts.”
Yoga today is not just a part of life, but is becoming the way of life, and it should not be limited to any particular time or place, Modi stated adding that the pictures of yoga until a few years ago were limited to houses and spiritual centres but they are now coming from every corner of the world, and at a time when the world faced the pandemic over the last two years, thus depicting the excitement towards Yoga Day, leaving behind the barriers of country, subcontinent and continent.
“This proves our vitality,” he said. “Yoga has today become an international festival. Yoga is not limited to any individual, but it is for the whole of humanity. So this year’s International Yoga Day’s theme is Yoga for Humanity,” he said, as he thanked the United Nations and all the countries for taking the message of yoga to the entire humanity.
Speaking about the “startup Yoga challenge”, the PM called upon the youth to participate in new ideas and possibilities in the field of yoga.
The event was attended by, among others, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Mysuru royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and “Rajmata” Pramoda Devi.
In his address, Sonowal said that “integrating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav with celebrations of 8th IDY, mass yoga demonstrations have been organised at 75 iconic locations across the country under the leadership of as many Union Ministers”.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya joined the celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Kevadia and called on citizens to take a pledge to be healthy and contribute to the country’s development while in Arunachal Pradesh, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju led the event at Dong in Anjaw district, bordering China.
Similarly, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan led yoga demonstrations at the east entrance of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Kerala and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation, V K Singh took part in an event at the Parade Ground near St Francis Church in Fort Kochi.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture took part in an event organised by the National Institute of Ayurveda at Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, Rajasthan while Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad led a crowd of nearly 7,500 people in performing yoga at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav joined the celebrations at Ram ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya and called on people to adopt a lifestyle conducive for the environment. Union Minister of State for Food Processing Prahlad Singh Patel attended a Yoga Day programme at Fort Aguada in Sinquerim village in North Goa district, while Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik participated in a function in Old Goa.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey performed yoga at Inche Monastery in Sikkim, Gangtok along with Governor of the state Ganga Prasad and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang while Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi performed yoga with a large number of people at the historic Panch Mahal in Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra.
