Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations at Kolkata’s Red Road on Sunday morning, marking the first time the event was observed on such a large scale across West Bengal. Thousands of people participated in the open-air yoga session, while similar programmes were organised in different parts of the state.
The Prime Minister arrived at the venue at around 6.30 am from Lok Bhawan, formerly known as Raj Bhawan, where he had stayed overnight. Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Yadav and several other dignitaries were present at the event.
Addressing the gathering, Modi highlighted yoga’s growing global appeal and its relevance in modern life.
“June 21 is the longest day in our part of the world, and now it is the day the world celebrates its biggest festival. Yoga has connected the world to India. It brings people together. Today I offer my best wishes to the world community,” Modi said.
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Pays tribute to Bengal’s spiritual icons
Calling it a special moment to celebrate Yoga Day in Bengal, the Prime Minister referred to some of the state’s most influential thinkers and spiritual leaders.
“It is a special occasion for me to be in Bengal on International Yoga Day. Swami Vivekananda introduced Yoga to the world. It gives me a spiritual feeling to take part in a community yoga event here. Rabindranath Tagore said we belong to the world community. Rishi Aurobindo said Yoga connects us to spirituality even if we cannot feel it immediately,” Modi said.
‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’ takes centre stage
Speaking on this year’s theme, Yoga for Healthy Ageing, Modi stressed that growing older should not be seen as a limitation.
“This year’s theme is Yoga for Healthy Ageing. Yoga can keep us healthy even as we age. It means that age does not reduce human potential. Yoga can help human life aspire for growth. Our target must be to be more energetic at 50 than we were at 30. We must be more resistant to lifestyle diseases at 70 than we were at 50. This is where Yoga can help us,” Modi said.
He added, “Yoga can help us tune our bodies to be flexible. It can increase our energy level. It can help us be calm, lead a stress-free life and keep lifestyle diseases away. With regular practice, yoga teaches us to be lifelong learners of our body and mind. The more we know ourselves, the better we can manage ourselves. Yoga for healthy ageing must be seen as relevant for people of all ages, not just the elderly.”
Referring to the Bhagavad Gita, Modi said, “Bhagawan Sri Krishna said in the Gita that a balanced diet and lifestyle, balanced activities, and balance between sleep and waking hours make yoga the crucible of life.”
“Yoga teaches us the do’s and don’ts. When we learn how to drive our body, health becomes a habit. Yoga focuses not only on physical postures but also shows us the path to mental health. It gives us a sense of what to do and what not to do,” he said.
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Calls for making yoga a daily habit
Emphasising yoga’s broader role beyond personal well-being, the Prime Minister said, “This paves the way for world peace. It is not just for our personal lifestyle; it is a necessity for a better future for the world.”
He urged people to continue practising yoga throughout the year. “Millions connect to Yoga on this day, but we need to focus on our resolutions. Let us not limit Yoga to a one-day event but make it part of our life, our family and our coming generations. For this reason, we introduced the Yoga 365 programme. A 100-day online programme was introduced on this occasion, and people from 130 nations have participated. Once this is done, we will have a prosperous and peaceful world,” Modi said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari noted that the scale of Yoga Day celebrations in Bengal had expanded significantly this year.
“Until now, the state government has not been involved in the International Yoga Day celebrations. I don’t want to go into the reasons. The scenario has changed. Today, more than 10 million people across Bengal are taking part in the celebration,” Adhikari said.
After the event at Red Road, Modi was scheduled to visit Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port to commission three indigenously designed and built naval vessels, INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray, before concluding his visit to the state later in the day.
