AMN / TIA
The President of India, Mrs Droupadi Murmu participated in a mass yoga demonstration at the Uttarakhand State Police Line Maidan, Dehradun, on the International Yoga Day today (June 21, 2025).
In her brief remarks after the yoga session, the President greeted all the participants practicing yoga on the occasion of ‘International Yoga Day’ around the world. She said that since 2015, Yoga has become a common heritage of the entire humanity. It is an important example of India’s ‘soft power’.
The President said that Yoga is the art of living a healthy life, adopting which benefits the body, mind and overall personality of a human being. When a person is healthy, the family tends to remain healthy. When the family and society remain healthy, the country remains healthy.
The President said that ‘Yoga’ means ‘to connect’. The practice of yoga connects the body, mind and soul of a person and makes the person healthy. Yoga can also connect one person to another person, one community to another community and one country to another country.
The President said that it is a common belief that the policy of prevention is better than cure is more effective. Yoga is considered very useful in prevention. She urged everyone to make yoga an integral part of life and to inspire others to practice yoga.
Yoga gives us direction to peace : PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that today the whole world is going through some kind of stress and in such a situation, yoga gives us direction to peace. Leading the celebrations on 11th International Yoga Day from Vishakhapatnam, Prime Minister said today for the 11th time the whole world is doing Yoga together on 21st June and it is wonderful to see how Yoga has connected the whole world.
Reminiscing about the journey to recognising the day internationally, the Prime Minister said the day when India proposed in the United Nations that 21st June be recognised as International Yoga Day and then in the shortest possible time 175 countries of the world stood with our proposal. He added that this was not just support for a proposal, it was a collective effort of the world for the welfare of humanity.
He said that to spread Yoga in the world, India is further strengthening the science of Yoga through modern research and the major medical institutions of the country are engaged in research on yoga. He further added that It is India’s effort that the scientific aspect of Yoga should find a place in the modern medical system.
Mr Modi added that this was not just support for a proposal, it was a collective effort of the world for the welfare of humanity. Prime Minister Modi said the theme of this year’s day, Yoga for One Earth, One Health, reminds that how the world comes together to secure a happy and healthy future for present and future generations. He said Yoga is a powerful means of enabling anyone to improve their physical and mental health and fosters a sense of wellbeing and togetherness within communities.
The Grand celebrations marked the 11th International Yoga Day along the scenic coastline in Visakhapatnam today, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the event. He was joined by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav and other dignitaries. Close to 2.72 lakh people participated in the event, which featured a fly-past by the Eastern Naval Command and a 45-minute yoga session.
“Spanning a 28-kilometre stretch along the scenic coastline from RK Beach to Bheemunipatnam in Visakhapatnam, the 11th International Yoga Day event brought together more than three lakh yoga enthusiasts – from seasoned practitioners to first-time participants. In a remarkable show of unity, they performed yoga simultaneously in an open-air setting, aiming to secure a place in the Guinness World Records for the largest gathering of its kind. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a 45 minutes Yoga Session was held following the Common Yoga Protocol.
Earlier today, a commemorative stamp by Department of Posts marking the 11th International Yoga Day was released. Speaking on this occasion the Prime Minister called on the people to make Yoga a part of daily life in the spirit of One Earth, One Health and complemented the Government of Andhra Pradesh for successfully conducting the month long Yogandhra campaign which trained close to two crore people in Common Yoga Protocol.