Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Yoga Day proceedings from Dehradun.
India is all set to roll out the yoga mats on Thursday to mark the International Yoga Day, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to lead the celebrations in Dehradun.
PM Modi arrived in Dehradun on Wednesday night to take part in the event to be held on Thursday.
The prime minister was accorded a warm welcome by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Assembly Speaker Premchand Aggarwal, state BJP president Ajay Bhatt, Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh and DGP Anil Raturi at the Jollygrant airport.
Ahead of the Yoga day, the prime minister posted a video on his Twitter handle giving a message that yoga is a “passport” to health assurance and not just a set of exercises that keep the body fit.
“Yoga is the journey from ‘me’ to ‘we’. It promises balance, calm, helps boost concentration and gives immense strength. As we approach the #4thYogaDay, I urge people around the world to make Yoga a part of their lives (sic),” Modi had tweeted.
“About 5,000 events will be held across the country to mark International Day for Yoga (IDY),” a senior AYUSH ministry official said.
ALSO READ: India prepares for International Yoga Day, PM Modi to lead proceedings
Besides celebrations in various districts and states which are being organised by state government in coordination with NGOs, the union ministers will go to different venues, inside the national capital and outside to lead yoga events. In New Delhi, eight events have been planned with the main event being held in Rajpath. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will be organising events at Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park, Talkatora Garden and Rajpath.
Besides, around 50,000 yoga enthusiasts including women personnel from various Central Armed Police Forces such as BSF, CRPF, CISF will participate in a yoga event at Red Fort organised by Brahma Kumaris. Yoga functions will also take place in Patanjali Yoga Samiti in Dwarka and Art of Living in Rohini.
Several ministries, like the Ministry of AYUSH, has launched mobile app ‘Yoga Locator’ giving details of yoga activities in a particular surrounding area, while the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched “#YogaFor9to5”, a contest to generate awareness on the benefits of yoga at the workplace for women.
Besides, celebrations will take place in more than 150 countries, with Indian missions coordinating activities in landmark places, the ministry official said.
Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place with commandos and paramilitary forces deployed to ensure no untoward incidents take place. In Delhi, eight events have been planned in the national capital with the main event being held in Connaught Place.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will lead the Yoga Day Programme at Bandra Reclamation Sealink Promenade in Mumbai on Thursday.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Yoga Day celebrations, The Press Information Bureau’s official YouTube channel was blocked as YouTube is updating its “partner agreements”.
The blocking of YouTube channel means that the PIB is unlikely to be able to live stream International Yoga Day events tomorrow.
However, PIB can live stream the event on other social media sites.
ALSO READ: On eve of International Yoga Day, PIB finds its YouTube channel blocked
The centrepiece of the first IDY celebration on June 21, 2015 was New Delhi’s Rajpath, with the event making it to the Guinness World Records with 35,985 participants performing asanas at one venue and 84 nationalities being part of it. Last year, the main function was at Lucknow.
The United Nations General Assembly in December 2014 had declared that June 21 would be observed as International Day of Yoga every year, a move for which India had lobbied hard.
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