International Yoga Day highlights: Yoga session held at world's highest railway bridge in J-K

Indian Army personnel on Wednesday performed Yoga at Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh on the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day.

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande also performed Yoga at Delhi Cantonment in the national capital.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar performed Yoga on board INS Vikrant at Kochi in Kerala.

This year the theme of Yoga Day is 'Yoga For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' i.e. Yoga for the welfare of all in the form of 'One World-One Family'.It emphasises the spirit of Yoga, which unites and takes everyone along. Like every time, this time too programs related to yoga will be organised in every corner of the country.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, his office said. Read more

The International Day of Yoga is marked annually on June 21 on a global scale since 2015. An invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition, yoga has emerged as one of the most trusted means to boost physical and mental well-being. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India has always nurtured traditions that unite, adopt and embrace, and made a fervent appeal to eliminate contradictions, hurdles and resistances through Yoga. Read more

ITBP Jawans perform Yoga on the occasion of the International Yoga Day at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on Wednesday.

"We have to eliminate our contradictions, blockages and resistances through Yoga. We have to present the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ as an example to the world,” PM Modi said

Furthermore, TRIFED has supplied 34,000 unique Yoga mats created by tribal artisans to the Ayush Ministry, not only benefiting the tribal communities economically but also preserving and promoting their distinctive artistic traditions.

To expand the reach and involvement, it has been suggested to observe IDY 2023 at iconic sites, with the assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India's circle offices. Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi will be present at Purana Qila, New Delhi, while Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal will be the Chief Guest at Nurmahal Sarai in Jalandhar.

Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, minister Sandeep Singh and people perform Yoga on the occasion of the International Yoga Day in parade ground Panchkula on Wednesday.

The United Nations General Assembly designated the International Day of Yoga in December 2014, following a proposal by India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and since then the day is being celebrated worldwide on June 21 every year.

Every year, a different theme is chosen to highlight different aspects of Yoga. The theme of International Yoga Day 2023 is 'Yoga For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

'At around 5:30 pm IST, I will participate in the Yoga program which is being organised at the headquarters of the United Nations. The coming together of more than 180 countries on India's call is historic. When the proposal for Yoga Day came to the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, it was supported by a record number of countries, says PM Modi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will join Indian Navy personnel aboard the INS Vikrant, an indigenous aircraft carrier, to perform yoga. The event will be attended by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, President of Naval Welfare and Wellness Association Kala Hari Kumar, and other senior officers from the Indian Navy and Ministry of Defence. Armed forces personnel, including Agniveers, will partake in the session, promoting unity and well-being.

We've always nurtured traditions that unite, celebrated diversity; through yoga, we have to end contradictions: PM Modi