YOGA DAY 2026: 6 Lakh To Perform With PM in kolkata

With India all set to celebrate the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026, the Ayush Ministry’s Yoga Sangam portal has achieved a major milestone with registrations touching the 6 lakh mark, according to an official statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading the International Day of Yoga celebrations at Red Road on Sunday morning.

Around 35,000 people are expected to gather in Kolkata on Sunday for one of the country’s largest celebrations of the International Day of Yoga (IDY), with Prime Minister Modi set to lead the national event, officials said on Saturday.

They said an estimated 10 lakh people will participate in synchronised yoga sessions at various locations across Kolkata. Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, said, “This is the first time West Bengal is hosting the flagship International Day of Yoga event on such a large scale. Participation is expected from yoga institutions, students, women, senior citizens.”

Highlighting the public response, he said, “A key feature of this year’s celebrations is the extensive registration of organisations through the Yoga Sangam Portal, the flagship community participation platform of IDY 2026.

“The portal enables institutions, organisations and communities to register and conduct synchronised yoga sessions based on the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP). Nearly seven lakh registrations have already been recorded, with the number expected to reach ten lakh by the end of the day,” he said.

Major attractions will include a large Yoga Carnival and a unique yoga demonstration on the Hooghly River, where around 500 boats are expected to perform yoga simultaneously, making it one of the most distinctive highlights of this year’s celebrations.

Referring to the programme schedule, Kotecha said, “The event will begin with a nationwide session from 6:30 am, during which participants will listen to the Prime Minister’s address, followed by a mass CYP session led by the Prime Minister from 7 am to 7:45 am.”

Officials encouraged citizens who cannot attend to participate from home and join the nationwide movement for health and wellness.

Since its adoption by the United Nations in 2014 following India’s proposal, the International Day of Yoga has evolved into one of the world’s largest public wellness initiatives.

Yoga Sangam, a flagship initiative of IDY 2026, aims to connect institutions and communities across the nation through synchronised yoga sessions based on the CYP.

Moving beyond a single location celebration, the initiative enables organisations across India to conduct yoga sessions at their own venues while becoming part of one collective national movement. The Yoga Sangam initiative has reached all states and Union Territories, covering 778 districts across India.

The registrations include over 3.22 lakh government institutions, nearly 2 lakh educational institutions, more than 16,000 private institutions, over 5,000 NGOs and around 44,000 organisations from other categories.

Among States, West Bengal has recorded the highest participation with over 2.76 lakh registrations, followed by Rajasthan with nearly 1.50 lakh.

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are among other states with significant participation.

The Ministry of Ayush has invited more organisations, institutions and communities to join this growing movement by registering their Yoga Sangam events.

This year’s International Day of Yoga is being celebrated under the theme ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’, highlighting yoga’s role in promoting healthier, more active and fulfilling lives across generations.