Renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik marked the 11th International Day of Yoga by crafting a striking sand sculpture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing Ustrasana (Camel Pose) at Puri Beach on Saturday.
The sculpture featured this year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” underscoring yoga’s role in promoting both individual well-being and planetary health. Pattnaik’s artwork, known for its intricate designs and vibrant colours, aimed to raise awareness about yoga’s mental and emotional benefits.
Prime Minister Modi led the national celebrations from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, where more than three lakh people joined him in a mass yoga session along the scenic coastline. Indian Navy ships stationed offshore added to the visual grandeur of the event.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi described yoga as a timeless gift that transcends age and borders, bringing humanity together in “health and harmony.” He praised the Andhra Pradesh government for successfully hosting the event and thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party leader Pawan Kalyan for their support, calling their leadership “inspiring” and their promotion of yoga “commendable.”
The Prime Minister also recalled India’s initiative in 2014 to propose International Yoga Day at the United Nations—a resolution that gained record global support.
BJP national president J.P. Nadda participated in celebrations in New Delhi, emphasising the deeper meaning of yoga beyond physical exercise. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined thousands at the Kishan Mela Ground in Pusa, also in the capital.
Across India and abroad, the day was marked by large-scale participation. In the Himalayas, Indian Army personnel celebrated the occasion at several high-altitude posts. A session at the icy Shahi Kangri Lake in Ladakh—20,000 feet above sea level—stood out for its extreme conditions.
“In a place where every breath is a challenge, soldiers embraced the timeless discipline of yoga—a source of strength, clarity, and resilience,” posted the Fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army on X.
In London, India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, led a yoga session at The Strand, which drew enthusiastic participation from the Indian diaspora, yoga practitioners, and friends of India.
Now in its 11th year, International Day of Yoga has evolved into a global movement, with events held in over 100 countries and at thousands of locations across India, reaffirming yoga’s growing role in global health and wellness conversations.