LIVE updates: India celebrates Yoga Day, PM says it brings peace to universe

Assam marked the International Yoga Day with sessions across the state, with the governor and the chief minister participating at different sessions, along with people from all walks of life, from security personnel to school students.

Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi and his wife Prem Mukhi joined yoga enthusiasts at the Raj Bhavan in Guwahati for a session in the morning hours.

The Maldives government has ordered a probe after a mob disrupted a Yoga Day event being held in a stadium in the archipelago's capital, Male, and allegedly threatened the attendees. Taking to Twitter, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said the Maldives Police have launched a probe into the incident. Read more

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Tuesday said yoga is a way of life that brings positive health and wellbeing. Asthana joined the International Day of Yoga celebrations and performed asanas with his fellow officers at the lawns of Delhi Police Headquarters here, PTI reported. "Yoga is a way of life that brings positive health and well being," Asthana tweeted.

Yoga has become a go-to fitness routine for many of us including bollywood celebrities. On the eighth international yoga day, several celebrities advocated about the benefits of age-old exercise. Actors like Shilpa Shetty, Malaika Arora who swear by yoga appealed to people to practice it. Stars like Karisma Kapoor & Alia were also seen doing yoga asanas. Watch this video

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan celebrated the International Yoga Day with some school children and dignitaries here on Tuesday and expressed happiness that the ancient Indian practice of yoga has now spread across the world. He said the people's priority in life should be to stay healthy. Chouhan rolled out a mat and performed yoga exercises along with students and some dignitaries at his official residence in Bhopal.

Yoga has no barrier of age, caste, geography or religion and everyone should make the ancient physical fitness regime a part of their daily routine to reap its rich benefits, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday. Addressing the International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations organised here by the Ministries of Culture and Ayush, he said, "Yoga is time-tested. Yoga has no barrier, no age, no caste, no region, no religion. That's why it is universal."

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who explained to the United Nations General Assembly the importance of yoga and appealed to the world to adopt it.

"On his call, all the countries of the world adopted yoga and resolved to celebrate the International Yoga Day every year on June 21. This is a big achievement for India," the minister for information and broadcasting said during a yoga practice session at Katoch Palace in Sujanpur.

More than 50,000 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, known as 'Himveers', performed Yoga on the occasion of the 8th International Yoga Day on Tuesday in sub-zero temperature locations in the high altitude regions of Himalayas up to 19,000 feet starting from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his UN address, had suggested the date of 21 June specifically as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.

Yoga brings peace to the universe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday morning as he led the International Yoga Day celebrations from the iconic Mysure Palace in Karnataka. “Yoga is no longer a part of life… it's becoming a way of life,” he underlined.

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With the theme "Yoga for Humanity", the International Yoga Day is being observed in various parts of the world on Tuesday. One of the highlights this year is “The Guardian Ring”, which underlines “One Sun, One earth” concept and showcases the unifying power of Yoga, the government has said. The celebrations have already started from Japan, “The Land of Rising Sun”.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended greetings on the eighth International Day of Yoga and said that yoga brings peace to the society.

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“Yoga is a part of our ancient Indian heritage. India's gift to humanity, it is a holistic approach to health and well-being, balancing our mind, body and soul. I urge everyone to make Yoga a part of your daily life & experience its benefits,” says President Ram Nath Kovind on International Yoga Day.

Bhartiya Janata Party President JP Nadda participated in the Mass Yoga Demonstration on 8th International Day of Yoga at Noida stadium.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick started the International Day of Yoga celebrations on Tuesday from the heritage city of Mysuru in Karnataka.

“This time in India we are celebrating Yoga Day at a time when the country is celebrating its 75th year of independence, celebrating Amrit Mahotsav. This wideness of Yoga Day, this acceptance is the acceptance of that nectar spirit of India which gave energy to India's freedom struggle,” says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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: PM Modi on International Yoga Day

Yoga is for the entire humanity. Hence, the theme for this international Yoga Day is ‘Yoga for Humanity.’ I thank United Nations and people from all over the world for celebrating Yoga Day: PM Modi