The United Nations on Thursday declared that June 21 will be International Day of Yoga, adopting a measure proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said yoga lets people "discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature."
The 193-member UN General Assembly approved by consensus a resolution establishing a day to commemorate the ancient practice, which Modi called for in September during his inaugural address to the world body.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the International Day of Yoga would bring attention to yoga's holistic benefits. "Yoga can contribute to resilience against non-communicable diseases. Yoga can bring communities together in an inclusive manner that generates respect," Ban said in a statement.
"Yoga is a sport that can contribute to development and peace. Yoga can even help people in emergency situations to find relief from stress," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed joy over the UN's decision declaring June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga' and thanked all the 177 nations of the global body.
"Elated! Have no words to describe my joy on the @UN declaring 21st June as 'International Day of Yoga'. I fully welcome the decision," Modi tweeted soon after the resolution was adopted in New York.
"I profusely thank all 177 nations across the world who co-sponsored the resolution to declare 21st June as 'International Day of Yoga'," he added. Noting that countless people across the world have made Yoga an integral part of their lives, he said, "Congrats to them! This will inspire many more people towards Yoga. Yoga has the power to bring the entire humankind together! It beautifully combines Gyan (knowledge), Karm (work) and Bhakti (devotion)."
He also put on his twitter account a link of his speech last year where he talked about yoga and its benefits. The resolution on 'International Day of Yoga' was introduced by India's Ambassador to UN Asoke Mukerji and had 177 (rpt 177) nations joining as co-sponsors, the highest number ever for any General Assembly resolution.
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