Rajpath decked for Yoga Day

various places to raise awareness about yoga. For the convenience of participants and visitors, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) would start operation at the crack of dawn with the first train scheduled to leave all terminal stations at 4 am. In fact, the Metro has extended the facility a day prior to the mega event also, as the ‘Prajapati Brahma Kumaries’ organisation has planned similar celebrations at Red Fort.Thousands of participants — including NCC cadets, schoolchildren, Government officials, Delhi Police personnel and nearly 50 top officers of the armed forces of the rank of lt-General and equivalent — besides the three Services chiefs, Defence Secretary and junior bureaucrats will be descending on Rajpath to perform various ‘asanas’ at 7 am on Sunday to mark the event.

“The programme is being held across the world after the United Nations had in December last year declared June 21 as International Yoga Day, with 177 countries voting in favour,” a senior Ayush Ministry official said.The proposal had been mooted by the Prime Minister during his first address to the UN General Assembly in September last year. Except strife-torn Yemen, where India does not have its Embassy, nations across the world are celebrating the day with Indian Embassy facilitating the event.Twenty-three giant lED screens has been put up at Rajpath for the participants to see the asanas to be performed by four volunteers from the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in the Capital. To commemorate the day two coins of `10 and `100 and a stamp will also be released.

While Modi will lead the country from Rajpath, several of his Cabinet colleagues will be at several places on Sunday to create awareness about the traditional artform.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will lead the mega event at the United Nations headquarters, 

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will participate at a yoga event in lucknow, and BJP president Amit Shah will perform yoga in Patna.

Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu will travel to Chennai while Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma will visit his constituency in Noida to take part in yoga events.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will join soldiers in doing yoga on that day in Meerut Cantonment while all units of the IAF, Army and Navy will celebrate the event all over the country.law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda will be in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerela to participate in a mega event, while Health Minister JP Nadda will take part in a yoga event scheduled to be held at Sanjeevaiah Park in Hyderabad.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi will participate in an event in her constituency -- Pilibhit.

Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram will visit Jeypore in Odisha on June 21 where he will perform yoga as well as address the gathering while Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Rajvardhan Rathore will be in Delhi. HRD Minister Smriti Irani will be in Shimla.Delhi Metro will also do its bit to make the event success which is vying for Guinness World Record for holding the largest yoga demonstration in the world. “Two extra trains will be run for public service from terminal stations of all lines at 4 am and 4.15 am respectively on Saturday,” a Delhi Metro spokesperson said, adding that special arrangement for ticketing will be done at Kashmere Gate and Chandni Chowk stations.

On Sunday, trains would leave the terminal stations from all lines at 4 am and 4.30 am respectively.At all the stations in the vicinity of Rajpath such as Race Course, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan, special arrangements for ticketing will be available. However, the facilities would not be available at the Airport Express line.