International Yoga Day

Initiated with a proposition by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, June 21 was proclaimed International Yoga Day by the United Nations on Dec. 11, 2014. The aim of worldwide recognition was to primarily raise awareness on the benefits of yoga.

Yoga has connected the world with India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on June 21, as he rolled out his mat along with millions of others across the globe to celebrate the ancient practice.

Enthusiasts across India rose at the crack of dawn, many braving monsoon showers, to mark the third International Yoga Day.

The Consulate General of India in Istanbul and Bursa is celebrating the Third International Day of Yoga. Organized in the Kalamış Park and at Akmerkez Rooftop in Istanbul and on the FSM Bulvar in Bursa, the free event includes yoga practice sessions, breathing exercises, and demonstration of different styles of yoga for all.

Millions of yoga enthusiasts bent and twisted their bodies in complex postures across India and much of the world on June 21 to mark the first International Yoga Day.

In ancient Greece

India has set up a ministry to promote alternative therapies such as yoga and traditional ayurveda medicine, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a mission to raise awareness and the appeal of home-grown health treatments.