International Yoga Day 2024: This year’s theme, “Yoga for Self and Society”, emphasises yoga’s vital role in fostering individual well-being and social harmony.
As the world marks 10th International Yoga Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a first celebrated the ancient Indian tradition at the Dal Lake, Srinagar. During the Yoga session the PM said that the “world is looking at Yoga as an agent of global good.”
The prime minister performed yoga in a 30-minute session, marking this year’s theme, “Yoga for Self and Society” and emphasising yoga’s vital role in fostering individual well-being and social harmony.
Over the years, PM Modi has led Yoga Day celebrations at various iconic locations, including Delhi’s Kartavya Path, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Ranchi and Jabalpur. Last year, he led the yoga events at the UN Headquarters in New York, which brought global attention to the ancient Indian tradition and lifestyle.
In recognition of yoga’s universal appeal, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014, following a proposal by India that was endorsed by 175 member states.
PM Modi has been leading the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga since it started on June 21, 2015, a year after he came to power as the prime minister of India.
First Yoga Day – Delhi, 2015
The first International Yoga Day event took place at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. With the theme ‘Yoga for Harmony and Peace’, a large crowd, including PM Modi and leaders from various countries, performed 21 yoga poses for 35 minutes. The event set two Guinness World Records: one for the largest yoga class with 35,985 participants and another for the most nationalities represented, with participants from 84 countries.
