PM Narendra Modi was speaking at the International Conference on Yoga for Holistic Health in Delhi. Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev also was present at this event.
India led 191 countries to mark the International Yoga Day celebrations on Sunday, with over 40,000 participants performing various yoga 'asanas' at a mega event on Rajpath in New Delhi.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the gathering, diplomats from 152 foreign missions were invited to take part in the event which started at 7am. Given the expected large participation at one place, the Ministry of AYUSH which is coordinating the event, will aim at registering the event into the Guinness World Records for the "largest yoga demonstration or class at a single venue".
Before the event began, PM Modi addressed the crowd at Rajpath. At the event he said, "Did anyone imagine Rajpath would ever become Yogpath? We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace and Sadbhavana."
He further said, "I thank the United Nations and other countries of the world who co-sponsored the resolution to mark this day as International Day of Yoga."
Live updates:
20:30 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
The International Yoga Day event at Rajpath here today made it to the Guinness World Records Book, with 35,985 participants performing asanas at one venue and 84 nationalities being part of it.
"It is a matter of pride for India that we have broken two records on one day," Minister of AYUSH Shripad Naik told reporters, citing the figures.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated all for the record set and successful conduct of the event.
The Rajpath event broke the earlier record set on November 19, 2005, when 29,973 students from 362 schools had performed a sequence of 'yogic kriyas' for surya namaskar simultaneously for 18 minutes led by Vivekananda Kendra at Jiwaji University Gwalior.
Ernst and Young audited the entire event today, said Global head of records verification of Guinness World Records Marco Srigatti.
He said that for the first time, the minimum criteria set for any yoga event to enter the record books was participation of at least 50 nationalities.
The audit of the event revealed that 101 people attended the event but did not perform yoga.
16:42 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
Thousands of yoga enthusiasts across the world today took to mats and stretched, bent and twisted their bodies in multiple complex postures as they marked the inaugural International Day of Yoga, celebrating the ancient Indian spiritual practice.
More than a thousand people took part in several events across Australia to mark the day, with Prime Minister Tony Abott appreciating Yoga's universal appeal. "For thousands of years, yoga has provided its followers with a guide to bringing their mind, body and spirit into balance," Abott said.
"Yoga's universal and growing popularity demonstrates its appeal to people from all the walks of life and its great potential to foster better health among individuals and populations around the world," he said. Melbourne saw over 500 people gathered at the Springers Leisure Centre to kick off the day with 'Surya Namaskar' and bending and twisting their bodies in complex postures.
Several MPs including Victoria's speaker Telmo Languiller, Inga Peulich, Anthony Byrne attended the ceremony by lighting the lamp in the presence of Indian consul-general in Melbourne Manika Jain. Yoga events were also held at Sydney's popular Bondi beach and in the Australian capital Canberra.
In the UK, hundreds gathered across cities to celebrate the day with the main event on the bank of the river Thames in London. It was held at Bernie-Spain Garden, on the South Bank of Thames.
13:43 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
Pakistan shoudl reconsider stand on Yoga, says Ravi Shankar Prasad
Urging Pakistan to reconsider its stand of not observing International Yoga Day, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said yoga would have helped in "bringing peace" in that country.
"It is very important to know that more than 190 countries agreed that yoga is important for mankind and out of those 190 countries nearly 44 were Islamic countries. Never ever there has been such massive response on a proposal. You can see that yoga is taking place in New York, China, London also," Prasad, the Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Technology, said in Kolkata.
11:44 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
PM Narendra Modi attends International Conference on Yoga for Holistic Health in Delhi. Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev also was present at this event.
At the event, PM Modi said, "Today we celebrated the very first International Yoga Day. When I spoke at UN General Assembly, little did I know about the kind of unprecedented response our proposal would receive. As I stand here today, the International Yoga Day is being celebrated across the World."
He further added, "This coming together with our brothers of sisters in other countries, brings our hearts and minds together. Soliditary in Yoga brings hearts and minds together."
He thanked other nations in making this day come to its existence. "I’m grateful to international community for support, this support is not just for India, it’s for the great tradition of Yoga. The reach and spread of Yoga cuts across differences of color, caste and creed."
He added, "A Yogi is a person who is in harmony with himself, his body,surroundings and nature. Yoga is a way to achieve that harmony."
Talking about the benefits Yoga, PM Modi said, "In a world suffering from stress, yoga promises calmness. Yoga creates concentration. In a world of fear, Yoga provides strength and courage.
A healthy body and disciplined mind are foundations are of a world free from fear. A healthy body and disciplined mind are foundations for the World free from fear, through Yoga we create a new World"
He also said, "Yoga helps in opening and refining of hearts, emotions leading to greater compassion, mutual understanding and sensitivity to needs of others. There is ample evidence that practicing yoga help combat stress."
10:29 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
Showers swept across the national capital today minutes after the mega International Yoga Day event ended at Rajpath, thus giving much needed respite to Delhiites from the sweltering heat. The rains were preceded by gusts which brought down several temporary structures at Rajpath put up for the event and scattered the carpets laid over the premier avenue.
10:01 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
Personnel of the navy and coast guard participated in the first International Yoga Day on Sunday.
Ministry of Defence principal spokesperson Sitanshu Kar shared the information via a series of tweets.
9:35 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on Sunday took part in the celebrations of first International Yoga Day in Srinagar.
9:14 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal participated in the International Yoga Day with Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia. Kejriwal said Yoga is very beneficial and hence should not be politicised.
Read the full story here: One should not politicise Yoga, says Delhi CM Kejriwal as he participates in International Yoga Day
7:00 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
PM Modi practises yoga at Rajpath
6:50 IST Sunday, 21 June 2015
PM Narendra addresses the crowd at Rajpath
Addressing thousands of people, PM Modi spoke at length spoke about the relevance of yoga in today's world. "This is the beginning of a new era. I bow down to the sages who encouraged Yoga through centuries," he said.
"Everything is moving forward, we dont want the situation where humans are lagging behind. Just making a body flexible, turning body into shapes is not yoga. Else everyone in a circus would be a yogi. Mind, intellect, body and soul, all have to be in sync.," he elaborated on the emeaning of yoga.
"We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace, goodwill. This is a programme for manav kalyan (benefit of man), a tension free world and a programme to spread the message of goodwill, " PM Modi said about the event.
The day was observed in over 251 cities in 191 countries across the world and the Indian missions and diplomatic posts have made arrangements for the celebrations and other related events. Government set up 2,000 huge digital 'cinema screens' across Rajpath for people to witness the live streaming of the performance of yoga asanas on Sunday. Besides Delhi, the yoga event will held on a large scale in Lucknow, Kolkata and Patna which will be streamed live on Doordarshan and through webcast.
Similarly all the states have been requested to celebrate IYD simultaneously and to organise similar events at district and panchayat headquarters. Over 11 lakh NCC cadets will perform according to Common Yoga Protocol and about 9 lakh members of armed police forces in their respective field units.
Image courtesy PTI
Stamps brought out by Department of Post on IYD as well as coins of Rs 10 and Rs 100 denominations brought out by the Finance Ministry will also be released during the mega event at Rajpath. Apart from the government, several organisations will also hold similar yoga events as per their capacity including Ramdev who will hold 1,100 programmes and has targeted reaching one lakh villages, while Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has claimed to reach five crore people.
The government has also roped in celebrities like Amitabh Bacchhan, cricketer Virat Kohli and wrestler Susheel Kumar while other stars in various countries have also been roped in for the event. The yoga celebrations are being held in the national capital after the United Nations had in December last year declared June 21 as International Yoga Day, with 177 countries voting in favour. The proposal had been mooted by the Prime Minister during his first address to the UN General Assembly in September last year.
Ahead of International Yoga Day celebrations, Delhi has been put on alert with as many as thirty companies of security personnel being deployed to guard Rajpath where a mega event is to be held on Sunday.
According to police, around 5,000 armed security personnel including Delhi policemen will be deployed to secure the venue and the area around it as thousands of yoga practitioners including Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the early morning programme. The 35-minute Yoga programme organised by AYUSH Ministry is scheduled to begin at 7.30 AM on International Yoga Day.
Following an alert issued by intelligence agencies, Delhi Police has banned flying of kites, balloons, glider, micro light objects during the programme to ward off any aerial threat. Eighteen DCP-level officers will also be on duty to monitor the security arrangements that will be at par with the Republic Day Parade arrangements, said a senior police officer.
The area restricted for public will be bounded by Mother Teresa Crescent, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Outer Circle Connaught Place between Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Barakhamba Road, Bhagwan Dass Marg, Mathura Road, Lodhi Road, Aurbindo Chowk, Safdarganj Road, Kamaal Ataturk Marg, Kautilya Marg and Sardar Patel Marg upto 11 Murti. Only labelled vehicles of yoga invitees and residents of these areas will be permitted to enter from 2 AM till conclusion of the function at about 10 AM, said Jt Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sandeep Goel.
With agency inputs
Watch it here:
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