Surat, June 21 (IANS) World Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. The term 'Yoga' consists of mindful practice of various asanas that connect body, mind and breath to promote physical and memory wellbeing.
International Yoga Day 2023: International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. It serves as a global platform to raise awareness about the various benefits of practicing yoga. The idea of observing International Yoga Day was first proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2014. This year, the global celebration of International Day of Yoga will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on June 21. The national celebration will be led by Vice President of India, JagdeepDhankhar from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. This year the theme of Yoga Day is – 'Yoga ForVasudhaivaKutumbakam' i.e. yoga for the welfare of all in the form of 'One World-One Family'. It expresses the spirit of yoga, which unites and takes everyone along."
The special Yoga session led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the lawns of the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday entered the Guinness Book of World Records for drawing the people of most nationalities performing Yoga together.
Prime Minister Modi led a special Yoga session on the lawns of the UN headquarters to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga. "Today, there was a Guinness World Records title attempt for most nationalities in a Yoga lesson. The mark to be was 140 nationalities. Today, in New York, at the UN, they had 135. It is a new Guinness world records title...," Michael Empric, official adjudicator, Guinness World Records, said.
The International Day of Yoga witnessed a remarkable achievement on Wednesday as the city of Surat set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session at one place.
Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, made the announcement during the grand event held in the city.
With a staggering participation of over one lakh people, the Yoga Day event surpassed the previous record, marking a momentous achievement for the state. The celebration witnessed the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who joined the state-level International Day of Yoga commemoration in the scenic Dumas area.
Addressing the enthusiastic crowd before the commencement of the yoga session, Chief Minister Patel announced that a whopping 1.25 crore people were participating in the Yoga Day celebration at 72,000 venues across the state.
Expressing his delight, Patel stated, "The Yoga Day event in Surat has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session at one place."
The Chief Minister also highlighted the significant role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in popularising yoga worldwide. He emphasised how yoga and pranayama had proven beneficial during the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said, "We are writing history today. We will lead the way for the world. What a spirit of Suratis to wake up at 4 a.m. and come here for yoga!"
To accommodate the colossal gathering, the event venue was meticulously organised in 135 blocks, with each block accommodating around 1000 participants. Special arrangements were made for school students, with separate blocks designated for their participation. Approximately 20,000 students from 42 private schools added to the collective spirit of the event.
The Y Junction BRTS route, where the Yoga Day event took place, underwent a transformation with a green carpet laid out to welcome the yoga enthusiasts. Consequently, bus services on this route were temporarily suspended, ensuring a serene and dedicated space for the participants' yoga session.
To authenticate the record-breaking attempt and ensure accurate participant counting, a team of 8-10 representatives from the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records were present in Surat.
Assisting them in the meticulous counting process were 25,00 dedicated volunteers appointed by the administration. Each participant was provided with a belt by the Guinness Book representatives, and the counting was conducted by scanning the barcode on the belt, leaving no room for discrepancies.
Notably, in addition to Surat's groundbreaking achievement, various ministers, MLAs, members of Parliament, and officials participated in Yoga Day programs held across different districts of the state.
As part of the nation's 75 years of independence celebrations, the Gujarat government selected 75 iconic places in the state for the festivities. Among them were prominent landmarks such as the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, the statue of Unity in Kevadia, the White Rann of Kutch, and the Modhera Sun Temple.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday joined the Yoga enthusiasts at the 9th International Yoga Day Celebrations at Botanical Garden, Srinagar.
Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command participated in the event organised at Udhampur in J&K, the Army said on Wednesday.
The Indian Army formed a 'Bharatmala' by conducting Yoga all along the border areas of the nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to mark the International Yoga Day on Wednesday.
BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena on Wednesday performed yoga in front of the Ashok Nagar police station in Jaipur.
The Congress on Wednesday said that it was the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was instrumental in popularising Yoga and even made it part of the national policy.In a tweet from its official Twitter handle, the Congress said, "On International Day of Yoga, we thank Pandit Nehru, who was instrumental in popularising Yoga and even made it a part of national policy. Let us appreciate the importance of the ancient art and philosophy in our physical and mental wellbeing and take steps to incorporate it in our lives."
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur performed yoga in his hometown Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday to mark the ninth International Yoga Day.
Most of the healthcare centers in India have incorporated Yoga and naturopathy as indigenous medical systems under Ayurveda. These healing sciences work well with modern medicine, and are classified under different names- AyurYoga, Medical Yoga and postural yoga.
