Union Health Minister To Lead International Yoga Day Celebrations At Statue Of Unity In Gujarat’s Kevadia

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will lead the International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Kevadia on June 21.

The Statue of Unity has been selected as one of the 75 iconic sites for the nationwide observation of the eighth edition of the IDY, the health ministry said in a statement.

On June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the IDY celebrations from the Mysuru Palace in Karnataka.

A digital yoga exhibition will be organised at Mysuru to showcase the highlights and achievements of all the previous editions of the International Day of Yoga.

In the spirit of "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" as the country celebrates 75 years of independence, 75 iconic sites have been selected for the IDY celebrations this year.

The International Day of Yoga is celebrated worldwide on June 21 every year. This year, the eighth edition of the IDY will be organised in India and across the globe on the theme of "Yoga for Humanity", which was announced by Modi in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address, and will focus on "Brand India at Global Stage" while showcasing its iconic places, the statement said.

The IDY observation is based on a harmonious mass yoga demonstration of a custom-made 45-minute protocol - the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP).

This year, the major attraction of the IDY celebrations will be the "Guardian Ring", whereby the events organised across the world on the occasion will be relayed throughout the day.

The "Guardian Ring" underlines the "One Sun, One Earth" concept and showcases the unifying power of yoga. The activity will string together the feed from different missions abroad, which will be telecast live on DD India, according to the statement.

Urging everyone to join in and reap the benefits of yoga, the prime minister has shared a series of tweets. In one of the tweets, he said yoga has become quite popular globally over the last few years. People from all walks of life and professions have incorporated it into their daily routine as yoga has helped them develop a healthy lifestyle, he noted.

Promoting the healthy habit of practising yoga regularly, Mandaviya, in a tweet, said in order to avoid illness and receive happiness, it is very important to focus on wellness for which everyone should make yoga a part of their lives.