International Yoga Day: Millions of people bend and twist their bodies as India leads the way

New Delhi: Millions across the planet joined to celebrate the inaugural International Day of Yoga on June 21, in a tribute to the ancient Indian spiritual and exercise discipline known to balance mind, body and spirit.The spectacular celebrations were led by Indians, showing the country's soft power to the world.Chants of 'Om' and recitation of 'Mantras' echoed through the atmosphere on Sunday. From glaciers of Siachen to the troubled waters of the South China Sea, from Sydney's popular Bondi beach to the banks of the Thames in London, from obscure parks to the barracks of Tihar Jail, people stretched and bent and sat in quiet meditation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the occasion as the "dawn of a new era of peace".The largest of spectacles unfolded early morning on the imposing Rajpath, where Modi, whose call led to declaration of June 21 as International Day of Yoga by the UN, sprang a surprise as he performed various asanas and pranayams with over 35,000 people, an eclectic mix of top-ranking commanders of defence forces, frontline politicians and the hoi polloi.India sets 2 new Guinness World RecordsThe Rajpath event made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest yoga demonstration at a single venue with 35,985 people participating. It also set a new record for the largest number of people of various nationalities--84, performing yoga at one place.The entire two-km stretch from Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate was lined with blue and red mats over green carpets with people of all ages twisting, bending and stretching on the Rajpath, the venue of the famous Republic Day parade, performing various yoga exercises.Modi expressed his gratitude to the United Nations and 193 countries for their "unprecedented support" in passing an India-sponsored resolution to declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga and said a "new era" has begun to train the human mind to scale new heights of peace and harmony.Attired in a loose white shirt and trousers and a tricolour scarf wrapped around his neck, Modi did most of the 21 'asanas' along with thousands of participants as part of the common yoga protocol, following simultaneous instructions in Hindi and English also beamed live on giant digital screens.Modi also cautioned against commodifying yoga.Yoga is a US $27 billion industry in the US where over 20 million people practise it.As Indian soldiers dressed in special weather clothing practised yoga at the frozen heights of Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world at 18,800 ft above the sea level, tens of thousands took out their mats on foreign shores and performed complex yogic postures.World celebrates Yoga DayIn Taipei, more than 2,000 participants rolled out mats and performed 108 rounds of the "sun salutation" - the sequence of poses often practiced at the beginning of a routine as the sun rises."They give themselves a piece of time to observe their mind and their heart, which I think in the modern society we need a lot," said practitioner Angela Hsi.In Dubai, a 41 year-old Indian man attempted the world's longest headstand. Ivan Stanley, who has lived in Dubai for 15 years, held the position for 61 minutes. He registered his attempt with Guinness World Records, which has yet to announce if he broke the record.He later told reporters that he relied on his mental strength. "Up to 45 (minutes), it started getting physically a little challenging in my shoulder and neck but after that it was completely mental," he said. "The last five minutes were really hard."U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the Yoga Day participants worldwide. He recalled that he tried his first Yoga asana - the tree pose - during a visit to India earlier this year and said the once he regained his balance he "began to feel a certain peace of mind.""My hope is that yoga will give people everywhere the sense and the oneness we need to work together to live in harmony and usher in a life of dignity for all," Ban said.Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott appreciated yoga's universal appeal, saying,"For thousands of years, yoga has provided its followers with a guide to bringing their minds, bodies and spirits into balance."Melbourne saw over 500 people gather at the Springers Leisure Centre to kick off the day with 'Surya Namaskar' and bending and twisting their bodies in complex postures. Yoga events were also held on Sydney's popular Bondi beach and in the Australian capital Canberra.In the UK, the day began with the main event on the banks of Thames as hundreds gathered across cities to celebrate the ancient Indian exercise.British Prime Minister David Cameron said in his message: "The UK is pleased to support International Yoga Day. We were one of 177 countries to vote in favour of Prime Minister Modi's proposal and we are pleased to see the enthusiasm with which it is being embraced, both in UK and around the world."However, in Pakistan the celebration was muted as it remained confined to the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, with the staff of the mission along with other foreign diplomats in the country performing 'asanas'.In China, events were organised at the prestigious Peking University and Geely University where people from different walks of life took part in the exercises. An event was held in Paris, where people dressed in white sat on mats under the Eiffel Tower and practised yoga.Reports of celebrations came in from Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, Malayasia and the Philippines June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the UN in December last year after Modi's call in his first address to the General Assembly in September 2014. In an unprecedented move, 177 of the 193 member states of the UN had co-sponsored the India-backed resolution.