From top-notch politicians to diplomats, soldiers and students displayed great agility in getting the yogic postures right. Minutes after the mega-event ended, it started drizzling.
The entire 2-km stretch from Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate was dotted with blue and red mats over green carpets, with people of all age groups twisting, bending and stretching on the ceremonial road performing various yoga asanas.
Modi expressed his gratitude to the United Nations and 177 countries for their “unprecedented support” in passing a resolution moved by India to declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga and said a “new era” is beginning to train the human mind to scale new heights of peace and harmony. Modi also cautioned against commodifying yoga.
Before surprising everyone by joining the mass session, the Prime Minister said: “Who would have thought that Rajpath would become <g data-gr-id="45">Yogapath</g>?”
An avid yoga practitioner, 64-year-old Modi was not scheduled to perform the ‘asanas’ at Rajpath – located between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan –but he climbed down from the podium, after his address to join the over 35,000 participants, including students and officials, in the mass event.
Attired in a white <g data-gr-id="55">sweat shirt</g> and trousers and a tricolour scarf, Modi did most of the 21 ‘asanas’, along with thousands of participants, as part of the common yoga protocol, following simultaneous instructions in Hindi and English and watching instructors on big digital screens at Rajpath.
US Ambassador to India Richard Verma was among scores of diplomats who attended the <g data-gr-id="44">mega event</g>.
Several top bureaucrats, including secretaries to Union ministries and officials from the PMO, were also present.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung were also <g data-gr-id="43">present,</g> but were seated in separate enclosures.
Later, addressing a two-day international conference on yoga for holistic health in the national Capital, Modi said: “If we make yoga a commodity, maximum damage to it will be done by us. Yoga is not a commodity, yoga is not a brand, which has to be sold.”
Drawing attention to boards of “pure ghee” shops in the market, Modi said that 50 years ago these were never seen, but today they exist because money is there.
“This should never happen in relation to yoga. Never should a time come, when we hear that only my yoga is true and all the rest are uselessly holding their nose and spending dollars. This is not a trade or organisation, but a state of mind (<g data-gr-id="60">vyapaar</g> ya <g data-gr-id="61">vyavastha</g> <g data-gr-id="62">nahin</g> <g data-gr-id="63">avastha</g> hai).”
Under attack from Congress for “usurping” the traditional form, Modi stressed that yoga is “not the brainchild of a government” or the United Nations, but a gift from many generations and traditions from across the world.
Of the 177 countries, which backed the Indian resolution on the Yoga Day in UN, 47 were Muslim nations.
The Prime Minister chose the occasion to make a pledge that the spirit of India and the collective entry of its people will work to the creation of a more equal world – a world without fear, a world of peace and foster culture of inclusiveness, of fraternity and of one global family.
Noting that people often think that yoga is just a set of exercises, he said that it is more than that and is actually a philosophy of disciple and meditation that transforms the spirit and makes the individual a better person in thought, action, knowledge and devotion.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands yoga enthusiasts around the world on Sunday took to mats, in a symbol of <g data-gr-id="102">universality</g> of the ancient Indian spiritual practice as they marked the maiden International Day of Yoga.
Over a thousand people participated in dozens of events across Australia to mark the day, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott appreciating Yoga’s universal appeal. “Yoga’s universal and growing popularity demonstrates its appeal to people from all the walks of life and its great potential to foster better health among individuals and populations around the world,” Abbott said.
In the UK, the day began with the main event at the bank of Thames here as hundreds gathered across cities to celebrate the ancient Indian exercise.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said in his message: “The UK is pleased to support International Yoga Day. We were one of 177 countries to vote in favour of Prime Minister Modi’s proposal and we are pleased to see the enthusiasm with which it is being embraced, both in UK and around the world.”
However, in Pakistan the celebrations remained confined to the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, with the staff of the mission along with other foreign diplomats in the country performing ‘asanas’.
In China, events were organised at the prestigious Peking University and Geely University where people from different walks of life took part in the exercises.
About a week ahead of the International Yoga Day, the India-China Yoga college was inaugurated at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming, the first such college in the country.
UN <g data-gr-id="107">Secretary General</g> Ban Ki-moon expressed his excitement at the first International Day of Yoga during his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, saying the day has garnered “unprecedented” enthusiasm around the world.