PM Modi to lead Yoga Day celebrations in New York on June 21

New Delhi/Dibrugarh (Assam) [India], June 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a mass Yoga demonstration at the United Nations headquarters in New York as the government is planning to celebrate International Yoga Day on a grand scale across the globe, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.

Prime Minister is visiting the United States on the invitation of President Joe Biden from June 21-24.

The International Day of Yoga is celebrated on June 21.

The main event of this year IDY in India will take place in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh on June 21, he informed.

Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said today that the upcoming 9th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) will witness many firsts this year.

"The main highlight of this year's celebration is that P 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," he said.

During his interaction with the media, Sonowal informed that the preparations to commemorate the IDY are in full swing not only in India but also globally.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will lead the mass yoga demonstration in the presence of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and other ministers.

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, he said.

Yoga from the Arctic to Antarctica is another feature in which MEA is coordinating with the 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, it said.

Yoga Bharatmala has been conceptualized, where Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force along with ITBP, BSF, and BRO will make a chain of Yoga demonstration in unison. Yoga Sagarmala will witness yoga along Indian coast line. 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. Our Prime Minister Narendra 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 the National Ayush Mission, Ayush Gram and the location of Amrit Sarovar will also participate in the celebration of International Day of Yoga, Sonowal said.

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 21st June 2023, Sonowal further informed