Delhi practices yoga together on International Yoga Day

While Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu led mass yoga sessions at the Yamuna Sports Complex alongside thousands of citizens, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chose a strikingly different setting for her own practice on Sunday.

She rolled out her mat beside the Neeli Jheel inside the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, home to leopards, deer, and nilgai. On Sunday, Delhi marked the 12th International Day of Yoga with simultaneous events spanning all 70 Assembly constituencies, 29 DDA sports complexes and parks, and neighbourhood ghats and gardens across the capital.

The Chief Minister, joined by Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, and a large number of citizens and yoga instructors, said yoga is not merely physical exercise but a complete way of life that brings balance between the body, mind, and soul.

She noted that the Delhi government had organised the celebrations under the theme “One Delhi, One Yoga,” with simultaneous programmes held across every Assembly constituency in the city, drawing participation from students, youth, women, and senior citizens.

The Chief Minister used the setting to draw attention to a part of Delhi, she said, that many residents remain unaware of. She described Asola Bhatti as one of the city’s most valuable natural treasures, its lake, dense greenery, and resident wildlife making visitors feel transported far from the Capital.

She said plantation and forest conservation work is underway across the Asola region and the Southern Ridge, with native species like mango, neem, peepal, and banyan now replacing the kikar and babool trees that once dominated the landscape.

After the session, she visited the Viksit Bharat Nursery within the sanctuary and reviewed ongoing biodiversity work before interacting with soldiers of the 132 Infantry Battalion, Territorial Army, Eco Rajput Unit, deployed there, and commended them for protecting forest wealth alongside their military duties. She also planted a sapling under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign and announced that a city-wide Clean Delhi, Green Delhi campaign, targeting 70 lakh saplings this year, will be launched in July by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma performed yoga at Durga Puja Park, Shahjahan Road, near Junior Modern School, while Ashish Sood performed at his constituency, Janakpuri.

At the Yamuna Sports Complex, the LG was joined by Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra and DDA Vice Chairman N. Saravana Kumar for the authority’s main event, held under this year’s national theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing.” DDA organised sessions across 29 venues citywide, including the Siri Fort, Saket, Dwarka, Rohini, and Vasant Kunj sports complexes, as well as parks such as Baansera, Coronation Park, Hauz Khas Park, and Sanjay Lake Park. Sessions were conducted by Ministry of Ayush-trained instructors and included asanas, pranayama, and guided meditation.

DDA noted it manages nearly 15 per cent of Delhi’s urban green area across more than 730 parks and 18 sports complexes. MLA Om Prakash Sharma, former Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Deputy Mayor Dr Monica Pant and Shahdara District BJP President Deepak Gaba were also present.

BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Gautam participated in the Yoga Day programme organised at Paharganj. MP Bansuri Swaraj participated in the Yoga Day programme at East Kidwai Nagar, while Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal attended the programme organised at Divya Yogashram, Bhamashah Road.

Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra participated in International Yoga Day celebrations along the sacred banks of the Yamuna River, from Sonia Vihar to Wazirabad and across various embankments, along with thousands of citizens. He appealed to the people not to limit Yoga to a single day but to make it an integral part of their daily lives and contribute to the building of a healthy, strong, and self-reliant India.

Health Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh led a mass session at Chhath Ghat, Talab Park, in Kunwar Singh Nagar, framing yoga as a pillar of preventive healthcare. He said the Health Department is working to integrate yoga into public health programmes, including activities at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and stressed its value for both children developing healthy habits early and senior citizens pursuing active ageing.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta joined hundreds of residents at District Park, Sector 14, Rohini, calling yoga India’s timeless gift to humanity that strengthens the body and calms the mind. He urged the younger generation in particular to make it part of their daily routine.

Former Delhi BJP president and Gandhi Smriti vice-chairman Vijay Goel led people in performing Yoga in the backdrop of historic Jama Masjid in Old Delhi.

What stood out across Sunday’s celebrations was the sheer range of backdrops against which the same simple practice unfolded: a Chief Minister stretching beside a forest lake within earshot of wildlife, a Lieutenant Governor leading thousands at a major sports complex, a Health Minister at a riverside ghat, and a Speaker among children and grandparents in a neighbourhood park.