International Yoga Day 2023 to be celebrated at grand scale across globe: Union Min Sarbananda Sonowal

Dibrugarh (Assam) [India], June 17 : Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said that the upcoming 9th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) will witness many firsts this year.

He said that the main highlight of this year's celebration is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will for the first time lead a mass yoga demonstration at UN Headquarters, New York, It is the same location from where 9 years ago Prime Minister had proposed the observance of International Day of Yoga in 2014.

In his address to the media, Sonowal informed that the preparations to commemorate the IDY are in full swing not only in India but also globally. The main event of this year IDY in India will take place in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh on 21st June 2023.

Hon'ble Vice President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar will lead the mass yoga demonstration in the presence of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai Patel along with other dignitaries.

Sonowal said, "This year's theme for IDY 2023 "Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" aptly describes our aspiration for - One Earth One Family One Future. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam has been the guiding light for the Indian heritage since time immemorial and our ethos and socio-cultural fabric are woven around it. I sincerely hope through the practice of Yoga the global community is able to find solutions to various current health challenges."

He added that the 100-day countdown campaign, which was launched by the Ministry of Ayush in March of this year, has contributed towards gathering a massive momentum across cities.

This year International Day of Yoga will witness many unique features like the Ocean Ring of Yoga, where India naval ships will be stationed at 9 ports around the world and participate in CYP demonstration. MoPSW will also organize CYP demonstrations with countries they have signed a MoUs.

Yoga from the Arctic to Antarctica is another feature in which MEA is coordinating with Ministry of Ayush to organize CYP in countries falling in and around the Prime Meridian line besides UN member countries. Yoga on the North Pole and South Pole regions will be held in coordination with MoES for yoga at Himadri-the Indian research base in the Arctic and at Bharati- the Indian research base in Antarctica. Indian team and wintering team nearby Russia, China and Australia will also be invited with the help of MoES.

Yoga Bharatmala has been conceptualized, where Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force along with ITBP, BSF, and BRO will make a chain of Yoga demonstration in unison. Yoga Sagarmala will witness yoga along the Indian coastline. There will be a Yoga demonstration at the flight deck of INS Vikrant.

At the National level this year International Day of Yoga will try to achieve "Har Aangan Yoga" by enabling observation of Yoga at the village level. PM Modi has written a letter to all Gram Pradhans, appealing to them to observe International Day of Yoga at their nearest Anganwadi, Health and Wellness Centers, and schools. In addition to that around 2 lakh common service centres, Ayush Health & Wellness Centres under National Ayush Mission, Ayush Gram and the location of Amrit Sarovar will also participate in the celebration of International Day of Yoga.

The Ministry of Ayush, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Ministry of External Affairs, is hosting a photography contest "Yoga My Pride" on MyGov.in platform. National and International participants can upload a photo of themselves doing "Yogasana" along with a caption apt for the photograph. National and International participants will be awarded prizes in three categories.

Y-break at workspaces was introduced by the Ministry of Ayush with the aim to get de-stressed, refreshed, and re-focused in the workspace. This year Y-break @ workspaces - Yoga in the chair has been introduced, which can be done while sitting in a chair. All ministries/departments of the Government of India have been requested to ask their employees to practice Yoga in chair.

The International Day of Yoga is being celebrated with a whole government approach. All the key ministries of the Government of India, National and International leading Yoga institutes & organizations and other stakeholders are already participating in various run-up activities of IDY 2023. Along with these Indian missions and embassies, UN member states, WHO GCTM in Jamnagar will also participate in the International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2023.