 "Modi leads Yoga Day celebrations")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led an estimated 36,000 people on Delhi's Rajpath to celebrate the first International Yoga Day, while thousands across the world took part in the yogic exercises in what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described as a world record.
Modi was joined by Indian defence personnel posted at the Siachen Glacier, on naval vessels at high seas, its staff in Indian mission and posts around the world and members of the Indian Diaspora.
At Rajpath, the PM, sporting a tricoloured 'patka', said the event marked the dawn of a "new era" to bring peace and harmony in the world. "Did anyone imagine this Rajpath will become Yogpath?" said the PM, who has been a yoga enthusiast for three decades. He was joined by foreign diplomats including US Ambassador to India Richard Verma, Armed Forces chiefs, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Modi thanked the UN member states for supporting the cause.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani led the yoga exercises in Himachal Pradesh's Palampur. Ministers Arun Jaitley in Washington, Sushma Swaraj in New York, Ravi Shankar Prasad in Kolkata, M Venkaiah Naidu in Chennai and several others also led people in yogic exercises in these cities. BJP President Amit Shah took part in yoga in Patna. A BJP press statement said the exercises in Patna were led by two Muslim girls. There was much buzz about the Yoga Day on social media as well, with pictures of the event being tweeted from across the world. Former police officer Kiran Bedi, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Delhi Assembly elections in February, tweeted that the "miracle of collective chant of Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, by millions brings pre-monsoon showers in Delhi. Reduces heat and cools even the trees."
Last September, the PM had proposed in his speech at the United Nations (UN) that June 21, the day of the summer solstice, be observed as the UN Yoga Day. As many 177 UN member states co-sponsored the resolution.
Modi was joined by Indian defence personnel posted at the Siachen Glacier, on naval vessels at high seas, its staff in Indian mission and posts around the world and members of the Indian Diaspora.
At Rajpath, the PM, sporting a tricoloured 'patka', said the event marked the dawn of a "new era" to bring peace and harmony in the world. "Did anyone imagine this Rajpath will become Yogpath?" said the PM, who has been a yoga enthusiast for three decades. He was joined by foreign diplomats including US Ambassador to India Richard Verma, Armed Forces chiefs, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Modi thanked the UN member states for supporting the cause.
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The Rajpath event made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest yoga demonstration at a single venue with 35,985 people participating. It also set a new record for the largest number of people of various nationalities - 84, performing yoga at one place.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani led the yoga exercises in Himachal Pradesh's Palampur. Ministers Arun Jaitley in Washington, Sushma Swaraj in New York, Ravi Shankar Prasad in Kolkata, M Venkaiah Naidu in Chennai and several others also led people in yogic exercises in these cities. BJP President Amit Shah took part in yoga in Patna. A BJP press statement said the exercises in Patna were led by two Muslim girls. There was much buzz about the Yoga Day on social media as well, with pictures of the event being tweeted from across the world. Former police officer Kiran Bedi, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Delhi Assembly elections in February, tweeted that the "miracle of collective chant of Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, by millions brings pre-monsoon showers in Delhi. Reduces heat and cools even the trees."
Last September, the PM had proposed in his speech at the United Nations (UN) that June 21, the day of the summer solstice, be observed as the UN Yoga Day. As many 177 UN member states co-sponsored the resolution.