Thousands of Yoga enthusiasts including foreigners today gathered at open grounds across South East Asia to take part in the Second International Yoga Day attended by senior government officials and celebrities.
In Thailand, around 6,000 people performed yoga at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University, in the heart of Thai capital Bangkok.
Most of the participants were Thai, but there were also many foreigners. The participants also included students and yoga enthusiasts.
A group of specially abled participants, sponsored by Deaf Association of Thailand also participated in the Event.
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi, India's Ambassador to Thailand, Pomthong Malakul, Vice President for Academic Affairs of Chulalongkorn University and Yada Theppanom, Miss Grand Thailand 2013, inaugurated the event.
Video messages on the occasion of second International Yoga Day from Prime Minister Narendera Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj were shown to the participants.
Atleast 150 people also participated in a Yoga Session at Hat Yai in Songkla province.
In Singapore, Indian High Commissioner Vijay Thakur Singh, led more than 4,000 multi-ethnic Singaporeans, diplomatic representatives and migrant construction workers for a 90-minute grand Yoga session this morning.
"We have had one of the biggest yoga gathering this year," said Thakur.
The session, closed the week-long Yoga sessions being held since June 19.
Though, the official date for the international Yoga day was June 21 as set by the United Nations, in Singapore it was celebrated almost on a daily basis for a week.
"Yoga has been a way of life. I feel that it is not (just) to be flexible outside, but also on the inside - that is more important," said Dr Yvonne Looi, who has been a laughter yogi for the past four years.
Last year too, the Yoga day was observed with great enthusiasm across South East Asian countries, which share long historical and cultural linkages with India.
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In Malaysia, Yoga Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm at several places.
The High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur organised the celebration on June 19 at the Cheras Indoor Stadium, attended by more than 600 people.
More than 20 local organisations sent their representatives for the event including Yoga institutions, corporate bodies and schools.
Several of them came from outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, including school children from Nilai Tamil school.
Malaysians from all walks of life, including Malaysians of Chinese origin, participated with great enthusiasm.
The Chief Guest for the event was Malaysian health minister S. Subramaniam who is also the chief of the country's largest ethnic-Indian based political party the Malaysian Indian Congress.
The Guest of Honour was Indian tennis legend Ramanathan Krishnan.
Subramaniam lauded the initiative of Prime Minister Modi and noted that India and Malaysia were also closely cooperating in other traditional areas,including Ayurveda and Siddha.
Indian High Commissioner in Malaysia T S Tirumurti welcomed the gathering.
