The First International Yoga Day, which was celebrated across the globe today with the theme “Yoga for Harmony and Peace” was organized in a solemn yet colourful manner in Guwahati. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme (NSS) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) jointly organised the event under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India .
The programme, which registered a record turn-out of over 10,000 people from different walks of life, was held at the AAU Veterinary College Ground, Khanapara, Guwahati, began with a Yoga demonstration by the participants conducted by the Assam School of Yoga, which was followed by meditation and prayers for international brotherhood, peace, harmony and good health.
Addressing the participants, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal congratulated the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for taking the initiative to get United Nations declare June 21 as International Yoga Day. Shri Sonowal in his speech also underlined the importance of Yoga in building a health body and healthy mind, which in the process would lead to a healthy society and health nation. He said,while everybody wants a healthy body and healthy mind, it is through simple yoga for a few minutes every day that can make a person healthy both in body and mind. While yoga has been a part of Indian culture since time immemorial, the nation must thank Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for having brought international recognition to it. It is a great moment of pride for India that 193 countries across the globe are observing the First International Yoga Day.
Shri Sonowal also congratulated the people of Guwahati for turning up in large numbers for the International Yoga Day, and particularly referred to the hard work put in by officials of NYKS, NSS and SAI in this regard. Delegations of youth and students who took part in the programme came from various institutions including Guwahati University and several Technical education institutes and social organisations.
Later, inaugurating a Youth Convention organized on the occasion of the First International Yoga Day, Governor of Assam and Nagaland Shri P B Acharya, lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in taking Yoga to the international arena.