The Siddha Central Research Institute (SCRI), under the guidance of the Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), celebrated the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026 with a week-long series of wellness programmes centred on the theme “Yoga for Healthy Aging.”

The celebrations, held from June 15 to June 21, included three Yoga Samavesh sessions and a flagship Yoga Sangam event, benefiting hundreds of patients, members of the public, staff, and students.

The main Yoga Sangam programme was conducted on June 21 at the SCRI campus in collaboration with the Government Siddha Medical College (GSMC), Chennai. The event was organized under the leadership of Prof. Dr. N.J. Muthukumar, Director General, CCRS, and the guidance of Dr. A. Kanagarajan, Officer-in-Charge, SCRI.

More than 250 participants took part in the mass yoga session. Addressing the gathering, Prof. Dr. R. Jayanthi, Vice-Principal of GSMC, emphasized the growing importance of yoga in modern healthcare. Dr. C. Anbarasi, Research Officer (Siddha), coordinated the programme and highlighted the therapeutic role of yoga in promoting healthy aging. Dr. G. Dayananda Reddy, Assistant Director (Pharmacology), and Dr. R. Ganesan, Assistant Director (Biochemistry), felicitated the event, while Prof. Dr. N. Venkatappan, Principal of GSMC, delivered the vote of thanks.

To further promote awareness, SCRI organized a 3-km “Run for Yoga” following the yoga session. More than 300 staff members and medical students participated in the event. The run aimed to educate the public about Siddhar Yogam and traditional Siddha lifestyle practices for disease prevention and healthy living.

The run was coordinated by Dr. R. Ganesan, Assistant Director (Biochemistry), and Dr. E. Nidhya, Assistant Director (Pathology).

The celebrations reinforced the importance of integrating yoga and Siddha principles into daily life to support healthy aging, enhance well-being, and prevent lifestyle-related diseases.

 

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