Thousands mark International Day of Yoga in South Africa

Thousands of South Africans gathered at more than a dozen venues across the country today to celebrate the International Day of Yoga that was adopted by the UN General Assembly two years ago.
Hundreds of Yoga enthusiasts of all religious and races performed yoga at the main event at Johannesburg's Zoo Lake park.
The Indian High Commission in Pretoria and its three Consulates in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg co-ordinated events with a host of community organisations in these and other cities and towns.
"Yoga may have been born in India, but given that yoga is practised by all segments of society in all parts of the world, it belongs to everybody," Indian High Commissioner Ruchi Ghanashyam said.

"We are very blessed that in South Africa, there is already a very big culture of yoga with almost every major school from India being represented in South Africa," Ghanashyam said.
"They have been our very valuable partners in providing the guidance and support for these events," he said.
Commenting on the objective of taking yoga to children as well, Ghanashyam said the main event on the actual day on Tuesday would see the Johanensburg Consulate teaming up with the Art of Living Foundation to take yoga to hundreds of mainly Black school children in Soweto.