Highlighting the importance of Yoga in today's world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the age-old practice "brings peace" to the universe as he led the International Yoga Day celebrations from the iconic Mysuru Palace.
Addressing the gathering along with Union AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the Prime Minister said that Yoga "makes us conscious of everything within us and builds a sense of awareness".
"I extend my greetings to all on this 8th International Yoga Day. Today, Yoga is being practiced in all parts of the world. Yoga brings peace for us. The peace from Yoga is not only for individuals, it brings peace to our nations and the world," PM Modi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"Millions of people with inner peace will create an environment of global peace. That is how Yoga can connect the people and countries, and how Yoga can become a problem solver for all of us," PM Modi added.
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International Yoga Day 2022 is being celebrated across the globe today with a theme "Yoga for humanity". The theme has been selected after much deliberation and consultation and it appropriately portrays, how during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, yoga served the humanity in alleviating the sufferings and in the emerging post-COVID geo-political scenario too, it will bring people together through compassion, kindness, foster a sense of unity and build resilience among people world over.
PM Modi's event at Mysuru is also part of the novel programme 'Guardian Yoga Ring' which is a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad to illustrate Yoga's unifying power that surpasses national boundaries.
It was during his speech at the UN General Assembly in September 27, 2014, PM Modi first floated the idea of the International Yoga Day. The draft resolution passed by India was supported by 177 nations. With universal recognition and growing popularity of Yoga, the United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014.
The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015.
(With inputs from ANI)