For the Modi government International Yoga Day marks an important day, and the Prime Minister is already ecstatic about it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, tweeted a video of his animated version doing an asana to inspire people to embrace yoga days ahead of the International Yoga Day on June 21.
The UN declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga in 2014 after Modi called for the day to be declared as a global celebration of yoga.
“On 21st June, we will mark #YogaDay2019. I urge you all to make Yoga an integral part of your life and also inspire others to do the same,” he tweeted.
During a 2014 UN speech held in New York PM Modi said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action, restraint and fulfilment, harmony between man and nature, a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but discovering the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”
The government has shortlisted Delhi, Shimla, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Ranchi to hold national programmes on the International Yoga Day this year.
It would be the government’s first mega public event after Modi took over as the prime minister for the second consecutive term.
An animated Modi performing which was circulated last year has been reshared again as a build up for Yoga Day.
In it Modi performs everything from Surya Namaskar, Vrikshasana, to Trikonasana. The display shows asanas and the different health benefits associated with each of them.
The Prime Minister is a yoga enthusiast who has led large groups on Yoga Day at different locations across the country by performing asanas to promote the ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice.
The main event of International Yoga Day on June 21 this year will be held in Ranchi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it, official sources said.
“The PMO finalised Ranchi as the venue for the main function of International Yoga Day to be held on June 21,” an official sources said.
A senior AYUSH ministry official said, “We have already started the preparations and the event will be organised in a large scale.”
This year a two-day yoga mahotsav is being organised in Delhi by the Morarji Desai National Institute of yoga.
PTI
It is expected that about 10,000 people, including yoga teachers, professionals, enthusiasts among others will attend the event.
The first International Yoga Day celebration was organised at Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015, in which representatives of 191 countries took part. In 2016, the main function was held in Chandigarh and in 2017 it was held in Lucknow.
Last year, the main event of the International Day of Yoga was held at the ground of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated.
Agency Inputs : PTI