2 Billion People Worldwide Engrossed in Yoga

A record 37,000 people, including PM Modi, will be striking up yoga poses in the national capital alone

IANS  |  New Delhi  

June 20, 2015 

Article in :Business Standard

India's ancient discipline of yoga will be a uniting force across the world on Sunday, cutting across religion, borders and differences, as over 200 million people will participate in events to mark the inaugural International Yoga Day, with a record 37,000 people striking up yoga poses in the national capital alone.

PIC : Sanjay Sharma

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an ardent proponent of yoga, will himself be present at the mega early morning function at Rajpath.

While the main function will be at Rajpath, which has been placed under unprecedented security cover for the event that will see diplomats too joining in, the International Yoga Day events will be held across cities, towns and districts in the country.

Yoga day events are being held in 192 countries, including in the Arab world.

Indian missions abroad are all geared up the mark the occasion with some public events.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is to participate in the headline inaugural event at the UN that will be addressed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and attended by well-known spiritual guru Ravi Shankar.

In the national capital, 37,000 pink, blue and other coloured mats will make for a pretty backdrop on Rajpath as participants bend and stretch for the 35-minute event.

India will seek to break a few records on the day, besides of the largest yoga gathering at a single spot with 37,000 people performing different yogic asanas or positions.

More than 50 diplomats are expected to join in the yoga on Rajpath that day - another record.

Yoga guru Ramdev will be present on the stage with Prime Minister Modi who will give a short address, after which some yoga asanas will be performed.