Yoga is not a religious activity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, as he participated in a mass yoga demonstration camp in Chandigarh to mark the International Day of Yoga.
Addressing thousands of yoga enthusiasts here, he said religions usually taught what human beings will get when they pass away.
"Yoga is not about the other life. Therefore, it is not a religious practice. It is the science of this world, it is about what we will get in this life," Modi said.
The prime minister said yoga was for both believers as well as non-believers. He further urged the people to embrace yoga for better physical and mental health.
"Make yoga a part of your life," the prime minister said.
"Just as the mobile phone is now a part of your life, make yoga too a part of your life," he said, drawing applause.
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In his brief address, the prime minister said the International Yoga Day had become a mass movement like no other in the world.
The UN last year declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
Underlining that yoga was not a religious activity, Modi said it helped to control the mind and maintain a healthy body for a healthy balance between the two.
Yoga, he said, helped people to lead a disciplined life.