International Day of Yoga
Yoga Day Celebration- 21st June
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in his UN address suggested the date of 21 June, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world.
It is one of the special two days when the rays of the sun directly hit one of the two tropical latitude lines. The change of the sun’s relationship with the planet bears a significant impact on the lives of the inhabitants of this planet, especially for people residing within eighteen degrees to forty-eight degrees north latitude, because this part of the earth gets the maximum impact in this shifting.
From the perspective of yoga, the summer solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The second full moon after summer solstice is known as Guru Poornima. Shiva, the first yogi (Adi Yogi), is said to have begun imparting the knowledge of yoga to the rest of mankind on this day, and became the first guru (Adi Guru).
From the perspective of yoga, the summer solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The second full moon after summer solstice is known as Guru Poornima. Shiva, the first yogi (Adi Yogi), is said to have begun imparting the knowledge of yoga to the rest of mankind on this day, and became the first guru (Adi Guru).
The idea of an International Day of Yoga was first proposed by the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on 27 September 2014.
He stated: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in wellbeing. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day”.
— Narendra Modi, UN General Assembly
Following this initial proposal, the UNGA held informal consultations on the draft resolution, entitled "International Day of Yoga", on 14 October 2014.
On 11 December 2014, India's Permanent Representative Asoke Mukherji introduced the draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly. The draft text received broad support from 177 Member States who sponsored the text, which was adopted without a vote. This initiative found support from many global leaders. A total of 177 nations co-sponsored the resolution, which is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA Resolution of such nature.
In 2015 Reserve Bank of India issued a 10 rupees commemorative coin to mark the International Day of Yoga.
In April 2017, UN Postal Administration (UNPA) issued 10 stamps on Asanas on a single sheet to mark International Day of Yoga.
- The logo is etched on a white background representing a pair hands stretched outwards from the body and joined together.
- The joining of both the hands symbolizes the union of individual consciousness with that of the universal consciousness. This symbolizes a perfect harmony between the body, mind and the soul which is the ultimate aim of any yogi.
- Below the human art form, there are 2 pairs of brown and green leaves, symbolizing the elements of earth and nature.
- The blue human figure symbolizes the element of water and the orange halo above head, symbolizing the element of fire, which is the source of all energy and hence commands the topmost spot.
- Behind the human figure, a picture of the globe can be seen which symbolises solidarity and oneness, which is one of the main principals of the Narendra Modi government.
- Below the logo the words “Yoga for harmony and peace “are inscribed which is believed to be the essence of Yoga.
- The logo was created by an 18 member team of New Delhi-based Panchtatva Advertising. The logo was selected through an open contest to increase participation from all sections of the society. The logo was officially launched by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi.
List of International Days of Yoga
2015
The first International Day of Yoga was observed around the world on 21 June 2015. The Ministry of AYUSH made the necessary arrangements in India. 35,985 people, including Narendra Modi and dignitaries from 84 nations, performed 21 asanas (yoga postures) for 35 minutes at Rajpath in New Delhi. The day was observed by millions across the world. NCC cadets entered the Limca Book of Records for the "largest yoga performance simultaneously by a single uniformed youth organisation" by performing at multiple venues.
The event at Rajpath established two Guinness World Records awarded to the Ministry of AYUSH, and received by the minister Shripad Yesso Naik. They were for the largest yoga class, of 35,985 people, and for the largest number of participating nationalities (84 nations). In San Francisco, 5,000 participants gathered in the Marina Green park to practice yoga.
2016
The ministry organized an event titled "The National Event of Mass Yoga Demonstration" at Chandigarh, which was to be attended by the Indian Prime Minister.
India's Permanent Mission to the UN organized celebrations at the United Nations on 20 and 21 June 2016. A special event titled "Conversation with Yoga Masters – Yoga for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals" was the centrepiece. Jaggi Vasudev was the main speaker at the event.
2017
In Lucknow, the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi participated in the event and practiced yoga along with 51,000 participants. Many business leaders in India also took part in the event. In New York, thousands of participants gathered to practice yoga on Times Square. Japan created a Parliamentary League for the promotion of yoga just prior to the event, in April 2017. In China, the largest gathering was 10,000 participants in the city of Wuxi. In Athens, the event took place on 25 June as part of the Greek Open Yoga Day and in Kyiv, the event happened on 18 June and gathered a few hundred participants. In Ireland, participants met in the round room of the City Hall in Dublin. The theme for 2017 was "Yoga for Health".
2018
The event in Dehradun was held at the Forest Research Institute. PM Modi led an estimated 50,000 volunteers to mark the fourth anniversary of International Yoga Day. The theme for 2018 was "Yoga for Peace".
Over 100,000 people gathered at a yoga session in Kota, Rajasthan and performed yoga together, earning the city a Guinness World Record.
2019
5th International Yoga Day was celebrated zealously in various parts of India. The main event was held in Ranchi and the Prime Minister of India, Mr.Narendra Modi led a crowd of over 40,000 people, who attended this event there. The theme of this year's event was "Yoga for Heart". At this event, the prime minister addressed the people of India, stressing upon the importance of Yoga for the overall health of body, mind, society, and even our climate, saying "Let our motto be - Yoga for peace, harmony, and progress". He also said that the government would be working to make Yoga a pillar of the 'preventive healthcare and wellness' system. Around 1000 participants, after a month long practice, gathered at Lukshmi Vilas Palace of Vadodara, on 20 June 2019, to perform 108 sun salutations which began at 4:30 a.m. till 6:10 a.m. non-stop to celebrate the 5th International Yoga Day.
2020
The theme for the 2020 day is "Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family".
While the social distancing measures adopted by countries to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have shut down yoga studios and other communal spaces, yoga practitioners have turned to home practice and online yoga resources. Yoga is a powerful tool to deal with the stress of uncertainly and isolation, as well as to maintain physical well-being. The United Nations offers yoga resources to its personnel and others on the Coronavirus portal's section on Wellness. The World Health Organization mentions yoga as a means to improve health in its Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world.