Yoga enthusiasts worldwide mark International Day of Yoga

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 on Saturday.

Recognising the universal appeal of the Indian spiritual and physical wellness practice, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in December 2014, the draft resolution for which was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.

At the UN headquarters, eminent physician, author and wellness guru Deepak Chopra led a special guided meditation session as over 1,200 yoga practitioners, diplomats, UN officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the diaspora community participated in the 11th International Yoga Day event hosted by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, said at the event on Friday evening that this year's theme for the day 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' is rooted in the ‘One Earth, One Health’ approach introduced during India's G20 presidency in 2023.

Earlier in the day, the Consulate General of India in New York, in partnership with Times Square Alliance, celebrated the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) at the iconic Times Square, which was attended by actor Anupam Kher.

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.

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.

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.” Year on year, Yoga is increasing in popularity across the United Kingdom, with millions of people in our country reaping its benefits, the monarch said.

Indian missions in more than two dozen countries held their IDY events on Saturday.

In China, thousands of people participated in several yoga events, signifying the growing popularity of the ancient Indian spiritual and physical practice in the country.

Amid the surging enthusiasm, the Indian mission stopped registration after over 1,500 people registered for 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.

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.

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.

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.

The mission, in collaboration with Lumbini Development Trust, also organised a yoga demonstration at the iconic Prince Siddhartha statue and Maya Devi Temple, in Lumbini Sanskritik area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which saw participation of more than 500 yoga enthusiasts.

The iconic Shankaracharya Gate right next to the India-Nepal border in Birgunj provided a serene backdrop for around 600 participants at the event, which was attended by Satish Kumar Singh, Chief Minister of Madhesh Pradesh.

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.

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.

In Malaysia, the High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur, along with the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre, organised the yoga event at the Batu Caves Complex.

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.

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.

Over 4,000 participants from different walks of life performed the Yoga Protocol in unison at the famed grounds of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, the Embassy of India in Bangkok posted on X. In Thailand, this milestone has been marked by more than 30 yoga events held in different parts of the country over the past 100 days, it added.

Saturday's event saw Ambassador Nagesh Singh host Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, and Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Uzbekistan, the Central Park at Tashkent saw over 1,000 yoga enthusiasts join the celebration with Adkham Ikramov, Sports Minister of Uzbekistan joining the Common Yoga Protocol session. PTI NSA NPK NPK