Lakhs of people joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi and performed Yoga on Friday as the country observed 5th International Day of Yoga.
Modi performed yoga along with around 30,000 people in Ranchi for around 45 minutes at the Prabhat Tara ground.
Addressing the participants, Modi said, "Yoga has always been associated with peace and harmony. I thank people for adopting Yoga. I urge people to embrace it."
He also spoke in English for a few minutes to reach out to the global audience.
Yoga for peace, harmony and progress! Watch #YogaDay2019 programme from Ranchi. https://t.co/nP8xHWMVYi
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2019
Saying "Yoga is beyond caste, religion, region and any boundaries", the Prime Minister said, "there is a solution to alcoholism and diabetes in Yoga".
While the prime minister was participating in Ranchi, the President participated in an indoor event in Parliament along with others.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who took part in an indoor event in Parliament, said in a tweet: "On #InternationalDayofYoga best wishes to all practitioners of yoga across the world. Yoga is India's gift to humanity; it holds the key to healthy living and to that fine balance between mind and body. Do become a part of the celebration of yoga."
At the #InternationalYogaDay celebrations at Iyengar Yoga Centre, New Delhi. I believe that it is perhaps only #yoga that can provide complete answer to a person's physical, mental, moral & spiritual well being in a holistic manner.#CitizenMukherjee pic.twitter.com/e8QeFBq7nJ
— Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) June 21, 2019
Newly-appointed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also participated in an event in the Parliament premises.
The prime minister was joined by several other participants who performed yoga in their respective regions.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel also participated in the yoga session at the majestic snow-covered Rohtang Pass, located at an altitude of 13,050 feet in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district.
According to the officials, the personnel performed yoga on a snow-covered slope in minus 10 degrees Celsius temperature early morning.
Thousands of people in the national capital also celebrated the fifth International Yoga Day on Friday, by participating in various events to mark the day.
Some 18,000 individuals took part in an event organised in Rajpath where they performed yoga. The participants included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The New Delhi Municipal Council estimated the number of participants to be even more than 18,000.
It is for the first time that the event did not use plastic yoga mats as these were replaced with Khadi mats.
International Yoga Day is celebrated annually since its inception by Modi in 2015.
Thousands perform yoga in Punjab, Haryana
Tens of thousands of people participated in fifth International Yoga Day events organised across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Friday.
In Chandigarh, the main event was held at the Sector 17 Plaza where scores of people performed yogasanas. Punjab Governor and Union Territory Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore joined the function.
In Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar led hundreds of people in the main event at Rohtak town, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah also participated.
Ministers of the Haryana government attended the functions at other district headquarters.
In Punjab, which has a Congress government, functions were held in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Bathinda towns.
Chandigarh was the main venue of the second International Yoga Day event in 2016 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading thousands of enthusiasts in the main event held at the city's iconic Capitol Complex.
China celebrates International Yoga Day
China celebrated the 5th International Yoga Day with great enthusiasm on Friday as thousands of people performed postures of the ancient physical routine.
Yoga has gained immense popularity in China over the years with the government and the Indian Embassy promoting the discipline.
At an event in Beijing, Indian Ambassador Vikram Misri and diplomats from other countries, including Nepal's envoy to China, preformed various poses of yoga with hundred of people.
"Yoga represents aspirations of the people from India and China... it is beneficial to work together in spirit of 'friendship and cooperation'," Misri said.
He highlighted that the growing popularity of yoga in China reflected not only the civilizational connect between India and China, but also the modern aspirations of "our people to work together in spirit of friendship and cooperation".
A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the significance of yoga for mankind was screened at the opening of the event.
Thousands turned up in various cities of China to celebrate the day.
The Indian Embassy in Beijing and consulates in other cities organised yoga events, well attended by people from all walks of life.
People in various Chinese cities like Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Guiyang also performed yoga.
There are 10,800 yoga schools in China and one India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming.
Enthusiastic celebration of International Day of Yoga 2019 in Letterkenny, organised by Healing Flow Yoga, supported by Indian community. Thank you for being part of the journey ! pic.twitter.com/DCTmI2dohD
— India in Ireland (@IndiainIreland) June 21, 2019
Abu Dhabi celebrates International Yoga Day Thousands of people including Indian expats celebrated the fifth International Yoga Day in the UAE capital with a message of peace and harmony.
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi hosted the celebrations at the Umm Al Emarat Park from 7 p.m. onwards on Thursday evening. Around 4,000 yoga enthusiasts of various nationalities took part in the event, Gulf News reported.
Ten yoga schools in Abu Dhabi performed at the event. A video message of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who initiated the International Yoga Day in 2015, was also displayed.
United Arab Emirates' Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, who was the chief guest along with Charge d'Affaires of the mission, Smita Pant, inaugurated the event. Top Indian businessman B.R. Shetty also attended the event.
Several cultural performances were held during the event. Tweeting about it, the Indian Embassy said: "Cultural performances by Indian Ladies Association marked the end of #IDY2019 celebrations in #AbuDhabi, See you all next year."
Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul joined the members of the Bohri community at a yoga session in Deira, Dubai, on Friday . Sheikh Nahayan congratulated India on the occasion and said: "Yoga encourages an attitude that looks towards a common humanity as an extension of the ancient principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam."
The Indian Embassy will also hold another yoga event on June 28 at Jahili Public Park Al Ain.
