PM Modi to lead International Day of Yoga celebrations in Srinagar

NEW DELHI — The tenth edition of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) will be organised in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Srinagar on June 21.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, much like every year, will lead the gathering in performing various yoga asanas.

Addressing a media briefing in the national Capital, Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav on Tuesday emphasised this year’s theme ‘Yoga for Self and Society’ and highlighted yoga’s dual role in fostering individual and societal well-being.

“The enthusiastic participation of millions in recent years reflects the profound impact of yoga on communities,” the Ayush Minister said.

He also informed that the Prime Minister has written to each Gram Pradhan, encouraging grassroot participation and the spread of yoga in rural areas.

This year’s IDY celebrations will be held in Srinagar with PM Modi again at the helm.

Notably, PM Modi has been a pivotal figure in promoting yoga globally.

Since 2015, PM Modi has led the IDY celebrations at various iconic locations, including Kartavya Path in Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jabalpur, and even the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

His leadership has significantly boosted yoga’s global popularity and recognition.

In the last 10 years, IDY has set four Guinness Book of World Records.

In 2015, a total of 35,985 Indians performed yoga at Rajpath along with PM Modi. In 2023, a total of around 23.4 crore people from across the world participated in the IDY event.

The Union Ayush Minister also launched a ‘Common Yoga Protocol Book in Braille’ to enable visually-impaired people to learn yoga with ease.

He also unveiled a Professor Ayushman comic on yoga which will help children learn and practice yoga with interest in an entertaining manner.

As a special initiative, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning a unique initiative ‘Yoga for Space’ to mark the IDY.

All scientists and officials of ISRO will perform yoga together as per the Common Yoga Protocol guidelines.

The team from the Gaganyaan project will also join the global campaign of IDY by doing asanas on the occasion.

The ministry has organised Yoga Tech Challenge on MyGov portal and MyBharat Portal with an aim to identify and promote those startups or individuals who have developed yoga-related tools, software and accessories.

The Ayush Ministry has also launched several contests and activities.

One notable initiative is the ‘Yoga with Family’ Video Contest, organised in partnership with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on the MyGov and MyBharat platform.

This contest encourages families worldwide to participate in the IDY 2024 celebrations, showcasing the joy of yoga and reinforcing family bonds. The submission deadline is June 30.