PM Narendra Modi will be leading another United Nations’ International Day of Yoga on June 21st. This will be the 10th time it will be celebrated since it launched on December 11, 2014, after PM Modi proposed it to the United Nations’ 66th Assembly. Today, India is currently revved up in festivity as it anticipates this significant world event.
According to the State Media, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have declared Srinagar where the main event will take place a temporary red zone. It is far off for drones and quadcopters currently as multi-layered security measures are put in place. To avoid the low level of local Indian participation in past celebrations, PM Modi has written directly to each Gram Pradhan, encouraging them to persuade members of the grassroots population to participate this time around.
Teachers, college students, doctors, and lawyers are trooping in from almost all the nations of the world. This is because many people have come to realize the importance of Yoga. Originally practiced in India, Yoga promises a lot and it delivers all its promises. Known for largely improving physical fitness, it has also been shown to improve mental health and clarity. With those, Yoga has earned its place as an elite exercise in many corners of the world, against the old view of it as something limited to dedicated monks somewhere in the deserts of India. In an age where rushing is the code of conduct and a status symbol to a big chunk of society, Yoga comes in handy. This is probably the reason the first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on June 21, 2015, the day of the summer solstice, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere; it symbolizes light and health, both of which portray the aggregate benefits of Yoga that can instantly be understood by anyone who grasps the meanings of both words in their Sanskrit context.
This year, it will focus more on that as the theme is Yoga for Self and Society. As can be gleaned from the theme, it is aimed at using a down-to-earth and methodical approach in introducing the balance that is lost among modern people both in their personal lives and relationships with others. And all of these without dismissing the other things that Yoga is known for such as resilience training and core behavioral improvements as it is seen in its recommendation by therapists. Scheduled at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, also known as SKICC, alongside picturesque Boulevard road, about 3000 to 4000 people are expected to grace it already. PM Modi will observe it at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on the banks of the Dal River. Perhaps the highlight of the day will be the grand event annually organized by the Ministry of Ayush. This will be at Rajpath, New Delhi where all people will unite to perform Yoga, technically confirming the original Sanskrit meaning of Yoga that is not mentioned enough, which is to join or to unite.
Last year, a total of 23.4 people graced the event from every part of the world, trooping to the Jora Maidan in the Chhattisgarh Capital, an improvement on the huge number of the year before. 86 nations also attended the Yoga session in one location. This year, the projected population is more than that and the number of countries in attendance will also slightly increase.
Since the first International Day of Yoga, Yoga has been getting more participants around the world. This year’s edition is another opportunity again for its transformative power to be known in places where it is still largely unknown.