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Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tenth annual International Yoga Day 2024 celebrations in Srinagar on June 21.
Although yoga has its roots in ancient India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of an International Day of Yoga during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2014.
The UN passed a resolution on December 11, 2014 declaring June 21st as International Yoga Day. June 21 is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world.
Speaking at the session, Modi had said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action … a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”
The theme for this day is announced every year — this year’s theme is “Yoga for Self and Society”.
The first Yoga Day celebrations held in 2015 at Raj Path in New Delhi. Modi, along with other dignitaries, created two Guinness World Records — for being the world’s largest yoga session (35,985 people), and for having the largest number of participating nationalities (84).
“Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from the Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness,” the United Nations website says.