Delhi-NCR residents roll out their mats to celebrate International Yoga Day
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s name was mentioned in the guest list, but he did not come for the event
A large number of yoga enthusiasts in and around the national Capital celebrated the International Yoga Day at various parks and gardens across the city. The park at Rajpath has been one of the venues since the first International Day of Yoga celebrated in 2015.
On Thursday, too, the sprawling Rajpath was laden with colourful mats to celebrate the spirit of the day. The event was attended by Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and senior BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's name was mentioned in the guest list, though he did not appear for the event.
The security was tight around Rajpath, with traffic being restricted around the area till the ministers left.
The New Delhi Municipal Council organised Yoga Day programmes in the parks and gardens of Lodhi Colony, Nehru Park, Talkatora Garden. Also, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) conducted events in Dwarka, Rohini and Yamuna Sports Complex in east Delhi.
At the Red Fort lawns, 5,000 women and men, all clad in white, met at the venue and participated in the mass yoga event organised by the Brahma Kumaris. The events started off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech being broadcast on TV screens installed at all venues after which the crowds performed yoga exercises.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place in the city to ensure no untoward incident. Besides, several yoga events were organised in various parks in the city. Several Union ministries also hosted events in their office premises for their employees.
At the Noida Stadium, a grand yoga session was organised jointly by the Gautam Budh Nagar District Administration and the Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA). The morning was graced by thousands of residents of different age groups along with some special faces including the Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, and NEA President Vipin Mahalan, all highly enthusiastic to practice yoga and meditation techniques under the guidance of Rajesh Panwar, yoga guru at Aarogyam Natural Health Centre (ANHC).
The first edition of the event made it to the Guinness World Records in 2015 with 35,985 participants performing asanas at one venue and 84 nationalities being part of it.