Today, the Ministry of Tourism celebrated the 8^th International Day of Yoga at Parade Ground, Secunderabad, Telangana. The event was led by the Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, Shri. G Kishan Reddy. The Chief Guest of the event was the Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M Venkaiah Naidu. The event was attended by more than 15,000 participants which included  Badminton Player, Padma Bhushan, and Arjuna Awardee Ms. PV Sandhu, and Film Actor Shri. Adivi Sesh, Members of Legislative Assembly,  President of Telangana Yoga Teachers Association, Yoga Institutes and association, Colleges, Schools, Para Military forces, Media, local administration, and other dignitaries.

Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, Shri. G Kishan Reddy welcomed the guests and talked about the importance of yoga in everyday life. Thereafter Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi virtually addressed the gathering from Mysuru.

Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M Venkaiah Naidu performed yoga and addressed the participants. Describing the meaning of Yoga as ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’, He said it emphasizes the unity and harmony between the mind and body, and man & nature. “On this occasion, I would urge everyone to work for the unity and harmony among all sections of the society.”

The Vice President stressed the need to take inspiration from our ancient philosophy and work for not just transforming our minds and bodies but also the overall transformation of the nation. Quoting from Gita, he described ‘Yoga’ as ‘Excellence in action’ and wanted this to be the ‘mantra’ for every Indian to take the country forward. “If you excel in your chosen field and perform your duties honestly, the nation will certainly progress faster”, he added.

Emphasizing the importance of good health in one’s life, Shri Naidu highlighted the importance of events like ‘International Yoga Day’ in promoting good health and happiness among the citizens.

Mentioning this year’s theme for Yoga Day – ‘Yoga for Humanity’, the Vice President underlined the role of Yoga in ensuring holistic physical and mental health and well-being among the masses. Referring to increasing mental health issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that the pandemic has made Yoga altogether more important to build resilience and improve our health

After the address of the Hon’ble Vice President, all the participants performed yoga as per Common Yoga Protocol.