AMN /
The first International Yoga Day was celebrated across the globe today. In India the day began with over 40,000 people performed various yoga asanas at a mega event at Rajpath in national capital, Delhi.
Addressing the participants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Yoga is not merely a physical exercise but a programme 
for the welfare of the mankind and a tool for maintaining peace and harmony. Besides addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister also practiced Yoga at the Rajpath.
Pointing out that Yoga can lead to a tension free world, Mr Narendra Modi said, it can help balance of mind, body and soul.
The Prime Minister said Rajpath has become Yogpath today.
Thanking the United Nations and the all countries of the world who co-sponsored the resolution to mark this day as International Day of Yoga, Mr Modi said, the day heralds a new era of peace and harmony through training of mind. He said, when everything is moving forward, a situation should not arise where humans are lagging behind.
The Prime Minister said that today is not just the first-ever International Yoga Day, but the beginning of a new era that would inspire humanity in its quest for peace and harmony. The Prime Minister recalled the contribution of ancient sages, yoga gurus, and practitioners across the world through the ages, for making Yoga what it is, today. He said that as mankind advances in various spheres of development and technology, individual human beings must progress too, and Yoga offered an avenue for this. He said Yoga was not merely an exercise, but offered an opportunity for balancing the mind and body, and could help harness an individual’s inner strength.
Rajpath was covered in a sea of yoga mats as more than 40 thousand participated in the mega event in presence of the Prime Minister. Nearly two thousand digital cinema screens was set up across Rajpath for people to witness the live streaming of the performance of yoga Asanas.
The whole world can be turned into a global village with Yoga, the soft power of India as Yoga lets people discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of AYUSH Shripad Naik said, the whole world is embracing Yoga in a big way today.
Earlier, in a tweet, Mr Modi greeted the people around the world on Yoga day and appealed everyone to take pledge to make Yoga an integral part of the daily lives. He also urged people to inspire others to join as the celebrations of Yoga.
The idea of celebrating the International Yoga Day was pitched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations General Assembly last year. Delhi was put on alert with as many as thirty companies of security personnel being deployed to guard Rajpath where a mega event is taking place.