Preparations gathered momentum across the country on Saturday ahead of the 12th International Day of Yoga, with political leaders, yoga practitioners, diplomats and citizens participating in awareness programmes and yoga sessions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lead the main International Day of Yoga event in Kolkata on June 21. According to Prof. Kashinath Samagandi, Director of the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, the programme will follow the Common Yoga Protocol and will be attended by thousands of participants, including Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav.
The session, scheduled from 6.30 a.m. to 7 a.m., will include yoga asanas, pranayama exercises and meditation.
In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu joined yoga guru Baba Ramdev at the Undavalli Caves in Amaravati as part of Yoga Day celebrations. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also performed yoga at his official residence in Jaipur and urged citizens to actively participate in events being organised across the state.
In Hyderabad, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy highlighted the city’s tradition of organising a 24-hour countdown event ahead of International Day of Yoga, bringing together yoga enthusiasts and prominent citizens.
Yoga sessions and awareness programmes were also organised in Jodhpur and several other cities, witnessing enthusiastic participation from public representatives, officials and residents.
Adding an international dimension to the celebrations, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi organised a special yoga session in collaboration with Life Yoga. The event brought together diplomats and members of the community and highlighted the growing global appeal of yoga.
This year’s International Day of Yoga is being observed under the theme “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, emphasising yoga’s role in promoting healthier and more active lives across generations.
-IANS
