The United Nations has declared today, June 21, as the International Yoga Day. As many as 192 countries usher in this day with some deep breathing and coordinated movements. Last year, United Nations General Assembly, accepting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal of holding an international yoga day, declared June 21 International Yoga Day, recognising the ancient Indian science’s “holistic approach to health and well-being.”
The day kicked off with a massive yoga demonstration at Rajpath with Prime Minister Modi calling it 'Yogpath'. Across India, the celebrations echoed as bad weather refused to dampen the spirits of yoga practitioners. The Hindu presents day-long coverage to this event from across the country and select foreign nations.
12:40 am: Rains lash Rajpath after International Yoga Day celebrations.
11:50 am: Appealing to Pakistan to reconsider its stand about not observing the International Yoga Day celebrations, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said yoga would have helped in “bringing peace” in their country. > Read full report
11:20 am: DMDK chief Vijayakant performing yoga in Chennai. Photo: M. Vedhan
11:00 am: Army personnel participating in the International Yoga Day celebrations at Island grounds in Chennai. Photo. M. Moorthy
Disappointed yoga fans - Mehboob Jeelani
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Yoga Day on Sunday morning at India Gate, several hundred yoga fans were denied access to the venue as they lacked the government-sponsored invitation cards. >More..
10:45 am: Getting drenched in the rains does not deter these yoga practitioners. Photo: Vivek Bendre
10:40 am: Thinking of making yoga an optional subject in schools and colleges, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. Shilpa Shetty at Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru. Photo: Bagya Prakash.
10:22 am: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving an international status to yoga and said it should be kept away from religion and politics.
10:15 am An open field at a local university in Thailand turned into a “yoga studio” early today as thousands of Thais, Indians and other expatriates gathered here to celebrate the first International Yoga Day.
10:10 am: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said yoga was India’s biggest gift to the world and it cannot be tied to a particular religion, caste or sect.
10:00 am: Undeterred by incessant drizzle, hundreds of yoga enthusiasts in Telengana State turned up at designated venues for the Yoga Day celebrations. Yoga guru Ravi Kishore kick-started the event. > Read full report here
9:45 am: Modi leads nation in setting world record in yoga. > Read full report here
9:25 am: Yoga Day celebrations kick off in Srinagar as well. Photo: Nissar Bhat
9:20 am: CII kicks off International Yoga Day celebrations at Taj President with instructors from B.K.S. Iyengar's School of Yoga teaching.
9.15 am: Yoga being done at Madras University, Chennai. Photo: V. Ganesan
9:05 am: Patients at Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Hyderabad getting instructed from a Yoga teacher. Photo: Arunangshu Chowdry.
8:47 pm:
South >#Delhi municipal school students on >#InternationalDayofYoga at Tyagraj Stadium >@DelhiConnect>@the_hindu>pic.twitter.com/1iP6N63aIe
— Damini Nath (@DaminiNath) >June 21, 2015
8:45 am: All Delhi Transport Corporation buses have Yoga Day message, reports Swetha Goswami.
8:42 am: Yoga practioners at the International Day of Yoga celebrations organised by the Indian High Commission on the Galle Face Green, Colombo, on Sunday. The message of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being shown on the screen. Photo: T Ramakrishnan
8:39 am:
Bengaluru marks International Day for Yoga. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K. >pic.twitter.com/iJmH3xYE2M
— Bengaluru Connect (@BloreConnect) >June 21, 2015
8:20 am: Rains dont seem to deter yoga enthusiasts in Bengaluru, reports Tanu Kulkarni.
8:14 am: Event at Rajpath lasted 35 mins, 21 Yoga poses were practised, reports Jatin Anand
"Yoga keeps mind and body healthy. Dedicate an hour a day for yoga... yoga is great to keep mind and body stress free." Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says. Photo shows people performing asanas at Kanteerava Stadium. Photo: K. Bagya Prakash.
8:08 am: President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates a mass yoga event at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
7:58 am: PM Modi swamped by school children in attendance at the event before being whisked away by security.
7:54 am: Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had said. > Read more
7:52 am: Weather on Rajpath turns within minutes of close of International Yoga Day function. Dust-storm in Rajpath, reports Anita Joshua
7:50 am: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu arrives in Vijayawada to participate in the Yoga Day celebrations. The Chief Minister along with other participants perform asanas at A1 Convention Centre in the city. 5. Mr. Naidu said yoga is part of life and is our natural and hereditary wealth. "World over many countries are organising yoga day celebrations and this is a good sign."
"Yoga is not confined to any particular religion or country. Yoga is a science and it helps in staying healthy and promotes positive energy. Nation has launched a new era today," he said.
7:45 am: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje participating at mass yoga show in Jaipur.
7:42 am: A scene from the inauguration of the International Yoga Day observance at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala Health Minister VS Sivakumar will be formally inaugurating the observance. Photo: Sarath Babu George.
7:35 am: Rajpath has become yogpath, says Modi. > Read the PM's speech
7:30 am: 9,000 NCC cadets turn up at Parade grounds in Secunderabad on #InternationalDayofYoga .Yogacharya Srinivas is the instructor.
7:28 am: Surya Namaskar at Charminar in Hyderabad. Photo: Arunangshu Chowdry
7:25 am: Jaggi Vasudev along with Minister Venkaiah Naidu at the Yoga Day event in Chennai. Photo: Vivek Narayanan
7: 19 am: Mumbaiites brave rains to participate in yoga session at Marine Drive. Photo: Samrat Chakrabarti
7:16 am: Delhi L-G Najeeb Jung at Rajpath for the demonstration.
. >#Delhi LG Najeeb Jung at Rajpath earlier today. Pic: Sandeep Saxena >#InternationalDayofYoga>pic.twitter.com/qCCN4nehf6
— Delhi Connect (@DelhiConnect) >June 21, 20157: 06 am: Demonstrations of various asanas with instructions in English and Hindi underway
7:05 am Govt bids for Guiness entry as single largest collective yoga show
7:02 am: Narendra Modi sits in yoga posture like others at Rajpath. Watch PM Modi performing asanas -
7:00 am: not just Delhi, the #YogaDay fever caught up in Mumbai as well.
Braving rains, people came out in large numbers to perform yoga at Marine Drive, Mumbai. Photo: Samrat Chakrabarti.
Watch: The Prime Minister's speech here
6: 58 am: I thank the UN and the Nations of the world who co-sponsored the resolution to mark this day as International Day of Yoga: PM
6: 56 am How to live tension free life on path of peace is the challenge, says PM
6:55 am: Everything is moving forward, we dont want teh situation where humans are lagging behind: Modi
6:54 am: International Yoga Day is not just a day but beginning of a new era to peace & harmony, says PM Modi
PM Modi speaking at Rajpath on International day of Yoga. Photo: Sandeep Saxena.
6:53 am: We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace, Sadbhavana: Modi
> Read: Delhi turns into one large yoga mat today
6:52 am: Today is not just yoga day but new age is beginning I bow down to the sages who encouraged Yoga through centuries: Modi
6:51 am: PM Modi says, "Did anyone ever imagine that Rajpath can be a "Yoga-path"?
6: 45 am: Minister, Shri Shripad Naik welcomes Najeeb Jung
6:40 am: Narendra Modi arrives at Rajpath
6: 30 am:
Free yoga session with yoga guru Jaggi Vasudev begins at YMCA Nandanam >@ChennaiConnect>@ramyakannan>pic.twitter.com/3C9LZXILi6
— Vivek Narayanan (@journovivek) >June 21, 2015The yoga session in Chennai. started with a Carnatic rendition 'sarvam Bramha mayam' by Sudha Raghunathan
6: 15 am: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrives Rajpath to participate in International Yoga Day celebrations.
6: 12 am: Greetings to people around the world on 1st International Day of Yoga! Lets pledge to make Yoga an integral part of our daily lives, tweeted Narendra Modi
5: 30 am:
Children get ready for yoga demonstration on >#InternationalYogaDay . Photo by Sandeep Saxena >@the_hindu>pic.twitter.com/hpk3g0iWDn
— Delhi Connect (@DelhiConnect) >June 21, 201504:50 Slideshow: >Rishikesh, the yoga capital
Rishikesh and yoga became popular culture worldwide when the iconic British band, The Beatles, visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in 1968. Photo: Special Arrangement
04:40 With International Yoga Day likely to inspire many, several experts and yoga enthusiasts point out that the sector needs standardisation as there is no accreditation or regulation that is mandatory for yoga trainers or institutes. >Read more
04:30 Bellur, a small sleepy village in Kolar district, about 50 km from the State capital, is gearing up to celebrate International Yoga Day.
This celebration, however, will be unique as relatives of the internationally-renowned Yoga guru, late B.K.S. Iyengar, will participate. >Read more
04:20 “Does Narendra Modi do yoga?” asked Russian President Vladimir Putin when he was informed that the Indian Prime Minister started a Ministry of Yoga. >Read more
04:10 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in New York, will attend a Yoga Day function at the United Nations, which will be graced by Secretary General Ban-ki Moon.
04:00 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be part of a high-profile cast that will include Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Baba Ramdev may also participate.
03:50 With India Gate in the background, 35,000 people, including schoolchildren and officials, will turn Rajpath into one big yoga mat on Sunday morning. >Read more
03:40 >Chucking corporate chairs for yoga mats>
Many youngsters in Bengaluru have given up their office jobs and trained themselves to become yoga instructors. >Read more>
03:30 Proyog , a Bengaluru-based yoga wear startup, which will launch its products today, says it is the only company in the world to use core-spun technology in yoga wear. >Read more
03:20 With nearly 150 ashrams and yoga schools, the > Rishikesh town is widely regarded as the unofficial yoga capital of the world. >Read more
03:10 So, Why do we need yoga? Ahead of International Yoga Day, Shonali Muthalaly makes a case for the ancient practice, physiological benefits and all. >Read more
03:00 >World warms up to observe Yoga Day
India’s big splash to mark the international event stretches from the Federated States of Micronesia in the West of Pacific Ocean to the far south of Samoa; from Reykjavik in the Nordic Island to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. >Read more
