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Introduction

Yoga, rooted in India’s ancient wisdom, has become a global symbol of health and harmony. Since 2015, India has led the world in celebrating International Day of Yoga with growing participation each year. From iconic global landmarks to rural villages, yoga has touched millions of lives. It promotes physical fitness, mental peace and a balanced lifestyle. The journey of yoga over the past 11 years reflects India’s message of unity, wellness and iner strength.

2015: Yoga for Harmony and Peace

The first International Yoga Day was held on 21st June 2015 at Rajpath, New Delhi, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Two Guinness World Records were made that day. One for the largest yoga class with 35,985 people, and the other for the highest number of participating nationalities, which was 84.

2016: Yoga for the Achievement of SDGs

Over 30,000 people joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the main event at Capital Complex, Chandigarh. He announced national and international awards for recognizing contributions to Yoga and called for a focus on Yoga for diabetes. Around 50 lakh people in India joined month-long Yoga training programmes. Globally, 191 UN member countries celebrated Yoga Day between June 18 and 26, 2016.

International Day of Yoga at the UN Peacekeeping Missions

2017: Yoga for Health

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the mass yoga demonstration with around 51,000 participants at Ramabai Ambedkar Ground in Lucknow. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of AYUSH held an International Conference on ‘Yoga for Wellness’ in New Delhi on 10 and 11 October 2017. The conference was inaugurated by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and was attended by around 600 delegates, including 80 yoga experts from 44 countries.

Troops of Indian Army celebrated International Day of Yoga at Nurla, Ladakh

2018: Yoga for Peace

 At the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun the event saw the participation of around 50,000 people. Another major event was held at Red Fort in Delhi by Brahmakumaris, with nearly 30,000 participants, including 2,000 women from the police force. In total, around 65,000 people joined the celebrations in Delhi. Across the country, about 9.59 crore people took part in the Yoga Day activities.

The Ministry of Tourism celebrated the International Day of Yoga at the Qutub Minar Complex. Event saw a wide participation from public including more than 30 foreign hospitality guests.

2019: Yoga for Heart

The fifth International Day of Yoga was celebrated on 21st June 2019 with events held across all states and districts in India and in 150 countries worldwide. The main national event took place in Ranchi, Jharkhand, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed yoga with nearly 30,000 participants. Yoga sessions were also held at iconic global locations like the Eiffel Tower, Opera House in Sydney, the Washington Monument and Mount Everest base camp. Over 13 crore people took part in Yoga Day activities across the country in 2019.

 

5th International Yoga Day goes global at the UN

2020: Yoga at Home, Yoga with Family & 2021: Yoga for Wellness

In 2020 and 2021, International Yoga Day was celebrated mainly through virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Common Yoga Protocol was promoted to ensure uniformity in practice across the world. Videos were made available on YouTube in 22 Indian languages, 6 UN languages, and 9 other foreign languages. In 2020, around 12.06 crore people participated, and in 2021 the number rose to 15.68 crore.

 

2022: Yoga for Humanity

Around 22.13 crore people participated in India, and the global outreach reached nearly 125 crore.  Yoga sessions were held at 75 heritage and iconic sites in India. In 2022, a 24-hour Global Yoga Ring was also organized as part of the “One Sun One Earth” initiative.

 

Ministry of Civil Aviation celebrated International Yoga Day in 2022, by organizing a massive Yoga demonstration of more than 2,000 people at Gwalior Fort.

2023: Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

2023 saw record-breaking participation with around 23.14 crore people joining the celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the event at the UN Headquarters, setting a Guinness World Record for participation by people from over 135 nationalities. Another record was set in Surat, where over one lakh people gathered for a single yoga session. Unique initiatives like the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’ and ‘Yoga from Arctic to Antarctic’ were introduced. The “Har Aangan Yoga” campaign reached rural areas through events in panchayats, schools, anganwadis and health centres.

International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

2024: Yoga for Self and Society

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the main event at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar. Around 24.53 crore people took part in the celebrations. The event set several new records and was added once again to the Guinness Book of World Records. It marked another major milestone in the journey of Yoga.

CISF personnel of Taj Mahal, Agra & Officials of ASI practiced yoga at UNESCO World Heritage site, Agra Fort on International Yoga Day 2024.

 

2025: Yoga for One Earth One Health

The 11th International Day of Yoga will be celebrated on 21st June 2025. The main event, Yoga Sangam, will feature a mass yoga demonstration based on the Common Yoga Protocol at over one lakh locations across India from 6:30 AM to 7:45 AM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the national event in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This year, the Ministry has also announced 10 signature events to mark the occasion.

Conclusion

In the past 11 years, International Day of Yoga has become a global event. India has led the world in sharing the practice of yoga. People across countries and cultures now include yoga in their daily lives. From villages to global landmarks, yoga promotes health, peace, and balance. It stands as a timeless embodiment of India’s cultural wisdom and global leadership in wellness. The journey of yoga continues; bringing nations together in the spirit of harmony, healing, and holistic well-being.

References

 

Ministry of AYUSH:

• https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/api/uploads/assets/IDY/IDY%202024%20Report.pdf
• https://ekbharat.gov.in/images/InstituteActivities/Documents/899220220726115505/Report_IDY%202022.pdf
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1479877
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1514684
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1556595
• https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=196040#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20AYUSH%20has,56%2C711%20farmers%20under%201%2C544%20clusters.
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1991441
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2129269
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=2137571

Ministry of Civil Aviation:

• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1835854

PIB Backgrounders:

• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=151900&ModuleId=3
• https://www.pib.gov.in/FeaturesDeatils.aspx?id=154688&NoteId=154688&ModuleId=2#:~:text=Yoga%20Sangam%2C%20the%20main%20IDY,Minister%20at%20Visakhapatnam%2C%20Andhra%20Pradesh.

 

Twitter Links:

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https://x.com/CISFHQrs/status/1804434039866003747

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Santosh Kumar/ Sheetal Angral/ Kamna Lakaria

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