A new world record was set in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on International Yoga Day, when nearly 300,000 people led by Baba Ramdev turned up at GMDC ground to perform asanas. Also present at the venue were BJP president Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Vjay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, former chief minister Anandiben Patel, political leaders, IPS and IAS officers, high court judges and other dignitaries.
Baba Ramdev claimed that the event has made it to the Guinness World Records book, after the one-and-a-half long session. Shah thanked Modi for making yoga popular across the world. “Though India was trying hard to make yoga popular across the globe since 2011, we got success after the United Nations accepted Modiji's proposal in 2014 and declared June 21 as the World Yoga Day. Since then, the popularity of yoga is increasing across the world rapidly,” Shah said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself led a gathering of over 50,000 yoga enthusiasts at the Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan in UP on the third International Yoga Day, where Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other cabinet ministers were also present. Addressing the gathering, Modi said yoga's immense popularity outside India is high and has connected the world with India. “I am glad to see several yoga institutes take shape over the last three years. Demand for Yoga teachers is increasing,” he said.
Yoga mats were rolled out across the world as enthusiasts performed various asanas at events organised by Indian missions, or local bodies, in different countries. People stretched and bowed in various postures at events held in the UK, US, Japan, China, Pakistan, and other countries. Hundreds of people gathered at the historic National Mall in Washington on June 21. Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna said it was a moving sight to see people turning up in large numbers at the heart of the US capital for the event. He said it was neither a political movement, nor an economic movement.
“This is something which is only for the benefit of all humanity at both an individual level and a macro level, because ultimately all societies in all countries are made up of human beings,” he said. The Indian High Commission in Pakistan also marked the day, with large number of people performing different asanas in an event led by Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale.
Yoga fever gripped China, as thousands of Chinese enthusiasts gathered in Wenzhou, which became the sixth city in the Communist nation to host the celebrations. Scores of events across country were planned, with Chinese officials saying it will make it the second-biggest celebrations of the day in the world after India. While yoga originated in India, it has become immensely popular over the years in China. It had also backed India's move in the UN to make June 21 as International Yoga Day.
The Indian Embassy in Japan celebrated the day at the Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo. The event began with an inaugural address of Indian Ambassador to Japan, Sujan Chinoy.
