As the sun rose over the Bay of Bengal, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi led a historic yoga session in Visakhapatnam on the 11th International Day of Yoga, joined by thousands of participants from India and abroad. The event entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest yoga gathering.

Joining the Prime Minister were Andhra Pradesh Governor Shri Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Shri Pawan Kalyan, State Minister Shri Nara Lokesh, Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Ayush Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav, and MoS Dr. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani.

PM Modi reflected on yoga’s global journey, recalling how India’s proposal at the UN won support from 175 countries. He praised India’s inclusive approach—highlighting Divyang persons reading yogic texts in Braille, astronauts practicing in space, and tribal students performing Surya Namaskar in record numbers.

The Prime Minister commended Andhra Pradesh for launching the YogAndhra Abhiyan, engaging over 2.17 crore citizens. He lauded Shri Nara Lokesh for turning yoga into a vibrant, inclusive social movement. Shri Prataprao Jadhav noted that 22,000 tribal students completed 12 rounds of Surya Namaskar in 15 minutes—another Guinness World Record.

Ten special events, including Harit Yoga, Yoga Connect, and Yoga Sangam, were also launched nationwide. At 70 locations in Delhi, the Ministry of Ayush distributed Ayush Aahar, a moringa-based nutritious diet.

Across India, Union Ministers joined the celebrations: Shri Rajnath Singh in Udhampur, Shri Amit Shah in Ahmedabad, and Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda at Kartavya Path, New Delhi. All praised yoga’s transformative power and PM Modi’s leadership in elevating it to a global movement.

Over 100 events were held in Delhi alone, echoing the day’s theme: Yoga for All — Beyond Boundaries, Beyond Backgrounds.

Source/PIB