Besides, every nook and corner of the city adorns posters and banners, featuring PM Modi in a padmasana posture. Huge cutouts of the PM, practising yoga, has also been put up at strategic locations to give a look that Chandigarh is ready to host Modi in a big way.
Like the previous year, this year too PM Modi will lead the celebrations at Capitol Complex, designed by French architect Le Corbusier, at 7 am. Entry to the venue will start at 4 am and close by 5:30 am through designated entry points. While the main event will begin at 6.30 am, the Common Yoga Protocol will start at 7 am and last for 45 minutes.
For the first time, 150 Divyangs, a nomenclature coined by Modi for differently-abled people, would be assisted in performing yogic asanas at the Capitol Complex. Apart from 30,000 participants, around 20,000 more yoga enthusiasts will be performing the ancient form of exercise at 200 venues in Chandigarh.
The Union Territory ABesides, over 173 Indian missions across the world will also organise yoga demonstrations to spread awareness about the IDY. A theme song for IDY titled ‘Yog Geet’ has also been released this year.
The mega event will be held amid tight security, with participants being radio tagged to track their movement. Security has been tightened across the city as well as at border areas. More than 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel will maintain a hawk-eye vigil to secure the venue. Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure smooth performance at the venue. The complex has been divided into eight blocks, where 500 master trainers, along with their team members, would perform yoga.
“All arrangements are in place for tomorrow's International Yoga Day event,” said Chandigarh Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal. Administration has decided to felicitate best Yoga performers with cash prizes. Yoga enthusiasts can upload their videos while performing ‘asanas’ and send them to facebook.com/iydchd2016 or tweet with #IYDCHD2016.
The first, second and third prize winners will get Rs 10,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively, officials said. Around 600 buses will ferry the participants to the venue and 300 pre-fabricated bio-toilets, over 300 dustbins and 30,000 mats have been installed at the venue. Several LED screens, put up at the Capitol Complex, will give live feed of the Yoga Day. A selfie zone has also been set up at the venue.
The asanas are divided into six sections, beginning with relaxed exercises like neck bending and body twisting. Among those who will attend the event include Punjab and Haryana Governor Kapatan Singh Solanki, who is also UT Chandigarh's Administrator, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar.
Meanwhile, the MeT department has forecast a possibility of rain and thundershowers. Given that the BJP is already in power in Haryana, the prime motive of holding the mega event in Chandigarh is to make inroads for the party in Punjab, where the saffron party is an ally in the Siromani Akali Dal (SAD)-led government.
Notably, the SAD government is under fire by Opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), for patronising drug peddlers in the state.