External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and foreign diplomats in the national capital observed the International Day of Yoga on Friday.
Jaishankar participated in a yoga session, describing yoga as a means of bonding for different cultures and a facilitator for building international relations.
“It has been a great bonding point for different cultures because it actually becomes universal. I often find, when I encounter people from other countries, just like the PM said, that this is often a talking point, something that people share,” Jaishankar said.
“We have come a long way in the last 10 years. We can see how much wellness and happiness yoga has brought to the world,” he added.
This year’s theme, “Yoga for Self and Society,” emphasizes yoga’s vital role in fostering both individual well-being and societal harmony. People worldwide are celebrating the 10th International Day of Yoga by practicing yoga.
Congratulating all Indians and yoga practitioners globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the world has witnessed the growth of a new yoga economy over the last 10 years.
PM Modi performed yoga at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar on Friday.
In December 2014, the United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution piloted by India to celebrate the International Day of Yoga on June 21, which also marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The proposal was first introduced by PM Modi during his address at the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly.
(With ANI input)