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International Yoga Day: How PM Modi celebrated in last 9 years
The United Nations recognising its universal appeal proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga with different themes since its inception on June 21, 2015, which have been followed globally.
Recognising its universal appeal on December 11, 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131. The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.
The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”
This year, the 10th International Day of Yoga with the theme ‘Yoga for Self and Society’ will be celebrated at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) along the Dal Lake in Srinagar on June 21. Prime Minister Modi, who has been elected to office for a third consecutive term, will lead the event.
Here’s a list of places from where PM Modi led the celebrations:
Kartavya Path, New Delhi (2015): The first big International Day of Yoga event took place at Kartavya Path (formerly known as Rajpath) in New Delhi. A large crowd, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from many countries performed 21 yoga poses for 35 minutes. The theme for the event was ‘Yoga for Harmony and Peace.’ This event broke two Guinness world records, one for the largest yoga class with 35,985 people, and another for having participants from the most countries with 84 nations represented.
Capitol Complex, Chandigarh (2016): The second International Yoga Day celebrations were led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Capitol Complex in Chandigarh. The day was themed around ‘Yoga for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.’ PM Modi was joined by over 30,000 yoga enthusiasts. They performed deep breathing and stretching exercises with him. PM Modi urged people to embrace yoga for better physical and mental health as he addressed the crowd at the grand event.
Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan, Lucknow (2017): The third International Day of Yoga was held on the theme ‘Yoga for Health.’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a mass yoga demonstration at Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan in Lucknow where more than 51,000 yoga enthusiasts participated and performed various yoga asanas. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had also participated in the event.
Forest Research Institute, Dehradun (2018): The main event of the fourth International Day of Yoga themed ‘Yoga for Peace,’ was held at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the celebrations with 50,000 volunteers.
Prabhat Tara Maidan, Ranchi (2019): The main event of the fifth International Yoga Day was held in Ranchi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a crowd of over 40,000 people. The theme of the event was ‘Yoga for Heart.’ PM Modi addressed the people and stressed the importance of yoga for the overall health of the body, mind, and society.
International Day of Yoga (2020): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mass gatherings on International Day of Yoga (IDY) were not advisable. Keeping this situation in mind, the day was celebrated through electronic and digital media. The government had themed the day ‘Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family.’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 15-minute televised address to the nation, said that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world was feeling the need for yoga more than ever.
International Day of Yoga (2021): The theme for the seventh International Day of Yoga was 'Yoga for Wellness'. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, people celebrated the day at their homes. In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that Yoga helped people gather the confidence and strength to fight the pandemic worldwide.
Mysuru Palace Ground, Karnataka (2022): The eighth edition of International Day of Yoga was celebrated at Mysuru, Karnataka, on the theme ‘Yoga for Humanity.’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a mass Yoga demonstration along with 15,000 participants. The day witnessed many new initiatives, including the ‘Guardian Ring’ program, which was a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad.
UN Headquarters, New York City (2023): Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 9th annual International Day of Yoga celebrations at the iconic North Lawn of the UN Headquarters in New York City. The theme for the year was ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or “One Earth· One Family· One Future”. The event witnessed an overwhelming response from thousands of Yoga enthusiasts from over 135 nationalities, setting a Guinness World Record for participation by the maximum number of nationalities in a Yoga session.
