Both nearby & far-flung countries mark the event; while RaGa slammed after contentious tweet
The 5th International Yoga Day was celebrated across the world — from the base camp of Mount Everest to the Washington monument, from Eiffel tower in Paris to Wuhan, China to the lowest point on earth at the dead sea with full force and enthusiasm.
All of India's neighbouring countries celebrated participated. For the first time, Yoga was celebrated at the Base Camp of Mount Everest, 17,600 feet above the sea level. India's Bharat Sharma and other mountaineers performed Yoga in the backdrop of the mighty Mount Everest. The Indian mission in Nepal organised a Yoga Day Event at Namche Bazaar-gateway of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.
Indian envoy to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, speaking to WION said, "It doesn't get any higher — absolutely wonderful to have people in the Everest region celebrating yoga."
In Bangladesh, the International Day of Yoga was celebrated at the landmark Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.
Yoga is surprisingly popular in Pakistan too, particularly in Lahore. One can see guided yoga sessions in gyms and parks. Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad, Ajay Bisaria, speaking to WION said, "The High Commission of India in Islamabad will celebrate IDY this time on June 22, on its premises, where diplomats, HC staff and Pakistani yoga enthusiasts are expected to join in. We will have a guided yoga and meditation session at 7 am, followed by breakfast. Our theme: yoga for health, wellbeing and peace!" Bisaria is to lead the guided meditation session at the Indian mission in Islamabad.
In Bhutan, the day was celebrated in Thimpu and Phuentsholing. In Myanmar's Yangon, the country's Health & Sports minister Dr Myint Htwe along with Indian envoy, Saurabh Kumar, inaugurated the Yoga Day event at Thuwanna International Indoor Stadium. Kumar said, "The central message we want to give to the people of Myanmar is: yoga is for peace and harmony. Yoga is for all. Every day is Yoga Day."
At the United Nations, India's envoy Syed Akbaruddin and Deputy Nagaraj Naidu lead the charge. The United Nations general assembly hall reverberated with the chants of Om Shanti with the theme being "Yoga for climate change". Syed Akbaruddin told WION, "The UN has a special place in the remarkable growth of yoga in our lifetimes. It was here that an ancient practice was transformed into an annual global observance. Hence we always observe the occasion with zest and fervour at the UN."
In Nordic countries such as Finland and Denmark too, yoga is being adopted fast and Yoga Day saw many participants.
(Clockwise from left) Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs yoga at Prabhat Tara Maidan in Ranchi, Jharkhand (ANI); MPs and officials perform Yoga at Parliament in New Delhi (BB Yadav/DNA); Yoga instructor Pratibha Agarwal (centre R) conducts a yoga session in a Metro train in Hyderabad (AFP)
Indian envoy to Denmark, Ajit Gupte, told WION, "International Yoga Day was celebrated with enthusiasm in three cities of Denmark — Copenhagen, Aarhus and Viejle. The events organised by the Embassy of India in Copenhagen with six local yoga institutes attracted growing participation."
While Vani Rao, Indian envoy to Finland said, "In Finland and Estonia, where yoga is very popular, local yoga practitioners and yoga schools participated with enthusiasm in IDY 2019, in spite of an important local holiday week for 'mid-summer' celebration."
The day was also celebrated in Hisham's Palace, City of Jericho which has been a continuously inhabited 10,000-year-old city and also at Dead Sea, which is at earth's lowest elevation. Yoga day was celebrated in Jeddah, Russia and in more than eight places in Khazakhistan.
In UAE's Umm Al Emarat Park, around 4,000 yoga enthusiasts joined UAE's tolerance minister Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, who was the chief guest. Ten yoga schools in Abu Dhabi performed different yoga demonstrations. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan congratulated India and said, "Yoga encourages an attitude that looks towards a common humanity as an extension of the ancient principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam."
Meanwhile, in Delhi, 250 diplomats from 56 countries participated in the event organised by the Ministry of External Affairs. The event was presided over by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who said,"By celebrating the International Day of Yoga together, we celebrate our common humanity".
Several envoys lauded India's "gift" to the world. While Bhutanese Envoy Major General Vetsop Namgyel said, "Yoga is India's gift to the world", Israeli Envoy Dr Ron Malka said, "Yoga balances not only the body but also minds", and Germany's Ambassador Walter J Lindner said, "Yoga brings happiness". French envoy Alexandre Ziegler said yoga is very popular in his country and "part of India's soft power".
The United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Yoga Day on December 11, 2014 and the resolution proposed by India was co-sponsored by a record 175 countries.
― Zee Media Newsroom
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