Prime Minister Narendra Modi, led a gathering of 50,000 yoga enthusiasts at the Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan in Lucknow on Wednesday on the occasion of International Yoga Day. UP Governor Ram Naik and chief minister Yogi Adityanath and cabinet ministers will also be present at the event.
The Prime Minister addresses the gathering before performing yoga. “Yoga is about health assurance. It is not even expensive to practice. Apart from fitness, wellness is important. Yoga is a medium to achieve wellness,” said PM Modi at Lucknow.
“I am glad to see several Yoga institutes take shape over the last three years. Demand for Yoga teachers is increasing. Yoga’s immense popularity outside India is high and has connected the world with India. It has been a part of every Indian household,” said PM Modi.
However, constant rainfall in Lucknow spoiled Yoga Day celebration. While some yoga enthusiasts joined PM Modi’s yoga session, others prefer to remain in the shade as it’s raining heavily.
“I welcome the Prime Minister to Lucknow and am happy he is joining the Yoga Day celebrations here with us,” said UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
“We have deployed 90 block magistrates, 83 magistrates and more than 200 volunteers from civil defense to assist the participants,” said Kaushal Raj Sharma, district magistrate, Lucknow.
In Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, BJP leader Vijay Goel, Delhi L-G Anil Baijal were present at the NDMC International Yoga Day at Connaught Place. Delhi Police also took part in the grand celebration. “Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame,” reads the Delhi Police tweet.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan performed yoga with 5,000 people at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal. Chouhan addresses the participants saying, “Yoga is necessary for students to keep themselves mentally and physically fit,” says Chouhan.
Uttarakhand also celebrated the third International Yoga Day. Massive preparations were going on for the past three days to convert Uttarakhand’s most happening sporting field Parade ground into a huge yoga site.
Indian Naval Cadets perform yoga on the deck of INS Virat on the eve of International Yoga Day in Mumbai.
In Allahabad too, school students practice yoga at Parade ground near banks of Sangam, the holy confluence of Gangs and Yamuna performing yoga.
