New Delhi: On World Health Day, Thursday, the Union Ayush Ministry organised a Yoga Mahotsav at the Red Fort, to demonstrate some common yoga asanas (postures) to the public.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was the chief guest at the event, while Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, Bhupender Yadav, G. Kishan Reddy and Meenakshi Lekhi were among the participants. Also in attendance were the ambassadors and high commissioners of many countries.
The event comes amid the 100-day countdown to the 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY), which will be celebrated 75 days later on 21 June. To mark 75 years of the country’s Independence this year, the 8th IDY will see events being held at 75 iconic sites across India.
“Yoga is our ancestral way of life. We have kept this yoga exercise today, ahead of International Yoga Day, relating it to the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Indian Independence)’,” said Om Birla.
Also read: India’s oldest yoga teacher was V. Nanammal, 99 year-old YouTube celebrity