Yoga enthusiasts worldwide mark International Day of Yoga

<p>New York/Beijing, Jun 21 (PTI): From the iconic Times Square in New York to the old Parliament House in Canberra and from the celebrated Moscow Metro to Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, thousands of yoga enthusiasts from across the world commemorated the International Day of Yoga.</p><p> The theme for the 11th International Day of Yoga celebrated the world over on Saturday is ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health.’ Recognising the universal appeal of the Indian spiritual and physical wellness practice, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga (IDY) in December 2014. The draft resolution for it was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.</p><p> At the UN headquarters, eminent physician, author and wellness guru Deepak Chopra led a special guided meditation session with over 1,200 yoga practitioners, UN officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the diaspora community at the event hosted by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations on Friday.</p><p> Earlier in the day, the Consulate General of India in New York, in partnership with Times Square Alliance, celebrated the IDY at the iconic Times Square, with actor Anupam Kher among those who attended it.</p><p> The day-long celebration of Yoga, also known as ‘Solstice at Times Square’, featured seven yoga sessions, in which about 10,000 people from across nationalities participated, showcasing widespread enthusiasm for yoga in New York City and the US.</p><p> In the UK, hundreds of people joined in a series of expert-led asanas and pranayam at the famed square on the Strand in London at the event organised by the High Commission of India in London on Friday evening.</p><p> Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami read out a special message from 76-year-old King Charles III, known for his affinity for Yoga, who said this annual celebration “promoted the global principles of unity, compassion and wellbeing.” On Saturday, Indian missions in multiple countries held their respective IDY events with widespread participation of local community, resident diplomats, government representatives and diaspora members.</p><p> In China, amid surging enthusiasm, over 1,500 people attended the yoga event at the old Indian Embassy complex in Beijing where Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat led other diplomats in commemorating the day.</p><p> In Shanghai, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China and a dedicated yoga practitioner, Siddharth Chatterjee, was the Chief Guest at the Yoga Day celebrations conducted by the Indian Consulate.</p><p> Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar and Bulat Nurmukhanov, Dy Chairman, Moscow City Tourism Committee, led the IDY event at the celebrated VDNKH, Moscow Metro, which saw a “beautiful morning of harmony and health” organised by the Indian mission with the Moscow City Government, the Embassy said in a post on X.</p><p> In Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the event organised by the Indian Embassy in association with Saudi Yoga Committee & Indian Diaspora was graced by leading Saudi Yoga personality & President Asian Yogasana Sports Federation Padma Shri Nouf Marwai, Shahad Al Mufti, Director, Ministry of Sports, and Ahmed Alsady, CEO of the Saudi Yoga Committee and other Saudi officials, and diplomatic community graced the event.</p><p> In Singapore, the 11th IDY was held at Supertree Lawn in the central business district with Dinesh Vasu Dash, Singapore’s Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and High Commissioner of India to Singapore Dr Shilpak Ambule in attendance at the event that saw about 300 participants.</p><p> In Australia, the event to mark the day was held at the heritage building of the old Parliament House in Canberra and joined by senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the diplomatic corps, and vibrant Indian and Australian communities led by the High Commission of India.</p><p> In Canada, Halifax Yoga Fest 2025 was organised at the scenic Foundation Wharf. “Participants experienced energizing yoga sessions, mindful meditations and enriching workshops led by regional instructors,” Consulate General of India in Toronto posted on X.</p><p> The Indian High Commission in Ottawa also organised a Yoga session on Friday in Montreal, along with the India-Canada Organisation.</p><p> The Indian missions in the South Asian neighbourhood also organised various events to mark the International Day of Yoga on Saturday.</p><p> In Nepal, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu organised a yoga and meditation session with over 500 participants on the banks of scenic Phewa Lake in Pokhara, celebrating the practice as a bridge between human consciousness and nature.</p><p> The mission also held similar events at the Prince Siddhartha statue and Maya Devi Temple, in Lumbini Sanskritik area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Shankaracharya Gate right next to the India-Nepal border in Birgunj.</p><p> In Sri Lanka, the day was celebrated with an event, attended by over a thousand people, including several ministers, parliamentarians, cricketing legends, cultural icons and yoga enthusiasts, at the eminent Independence Square in Colombo.</p><p> The Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre came alive with the spirit of Yoga as more than 1,500 practitioners, students, and members of the public gathered to celebrate the IDY.</p><p> In Dhaka, High Commissioner Pranay Verma highlighted Yoga’s universality in today’s world at a grand session of Common Yoga Protocol and Yoga demonstrations by six prominent yoga institutions of Bangladesh.</p><p> In Pakistan, the Charge D’Affaires at the High Commission of India in Islamabad Gitika Srivastava led her team to celebrate the 11th International Yoga Day.</p><p> In Bhutan, Consulate General of India Phuentsholing, in collaboration with Bhutan India Friendship Association, celebrated 11th International Day of Yoga in Gelephu Mindfulness City. Lotay Tshering, Governor of GMC was the Chief Guest at the event.</p><p> In Maldives, State Minister for Sports, Fitness and Recreation Ibrahim Amir was the chief guest at the IDY event — which saw more than 500 yoga enthusiasts — organised by the Indian mission at Male.</p><p> In Port Louis, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam narrated how Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit, took personal interest in inspiring both him and his wife Veena Ramgoolam to learn yoga, including by arranging qualified teachers, a video shared on social media by the High Commission of India there showed.</p><p> With INS Teg as the backdrop, Indian Navy personnel, members of the Indian diaspora and people of Mauritius took part in the yoga day event at Port Louis.</p><p> Social media was full of photos and news about the scores of events organised the world over to mark the 11th IDY with thousands of avid yoga fans joining in at the respective celebrations.</p><p> In Japan, the Indian Embassy in Tokyo organised at the legendary Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple the yoga festival, which was inaugurated by Yoshiko Ishiba, the spouse of Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Satoko Iwaya, wife of Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.</p><p> The event brought together over 2,000 friends of India and yoga enthusiasts led by Indian Ambassador Sibi George and attended by Myoken Hayama and Tomohiro Kimura of Tsukiji Hongwanji, senior government officials, resident ambassadors and diplomats and friends of India in Japan.</p><p> Similar events were held at Copenhagen (Denmark), Graz (Austria), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Kyiv (Ukraine), Marseille (France), Vilnius (Lithuania), Prague (Czech Republic), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kampala (Uganda), Frankfurt (Germany), Jakarta (Indonesia), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Riga (Latvia), Cairo (Egypt), Ghent (Belgium), Helsinki (Finland), Madrid (Spain), Milan (Italy), Muscat (Oman), Manila (Philippines) and Nairobi (Kenya) among others where exuberant participants joined in the Common Yoga Protocol session. PTI NSA NPK RD RD RD</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>