A rangoli of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the Sahaj Rangoli Group in Vadodara. (Express photo by Bhupendra Rana)International Yoga Day 2019 Theme, Events, Venue: Yoga, an ancient practice remains relevant owing to its several advantages, its ability to boost physical, mental and spiritual well-being. In order to promote this and spread awareness, the United Nations (UN) declared June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2015, on the suggestion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of a person’s body and consciousness. On this day, several celebrities, and politicians come together to initiate and participate in various endeavours. For its fifth annual celebration, UN has organised “Yoga with Gurus” on June 20, 2019. It will take place from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm at the United Nations North Lawn. It will be followed by a panel discussion on June 21. The theme of this year is Climate Action.
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The first Yoga Day celebrations were held at Raj Path in New Delhi. It was attended by Modi and other dignitaries. On that day, 21 yoga asanas were performed and two Guinness World Records were recorded. The first record was set for it witnessed the presence of 35,985 people and thereby being the world’s largest yoga class. The second one was set as the event was participated by the most number (84) of nationalities.
The PM has always been a huge supporter of yoga. He had performed yoga in Dehradun last year with over 50,000 enthusiasts. “While many powers in the world divide us, yoga unites us. It gives peace to an individual. Instead of further animosity, yoga assimilates,” he had said.
