International Yoga Day 2018: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to lead celebrations in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will participate as Chief Guest at the International Yoga Day 2018 celebrations being held in Mumbai on Thursday, June 21.

According to reports, Naidu will lead the celebrations at Bandra Reclamation Sealink Promenade in Mumbai.

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, and many top political leaders will also attend the event which is being organized by a voluntary organization from Mumbai.

Recognizing that Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being, the United Nations has proclaimed June 21 as International Day of Yoga. 

Since the first International Day of Yoga held on June 21, 2015, the event is being celebrated in many countries across the world every year to raise awareness on the benefits of practicing Yoga.

The theme for this year is ‘Yoga for Peace’.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead fourth International Yoga Day celebrations here in Uttarakhand on Thursday in the presence of thousands of volunteers performing yoga "asanas".

He will start the event from the lawns of Forest Research Institute when a series of yoga-related events will be organised around the world to mark the occasion.

In a statement, Modi on Wednesday greeted yoga enthusiasts across the world, saying "yoga is not just a set of exercises that keeps the body fit. It is a passport to health assurance, a key to fitness and wellness".

"Nor is yoga only what you practice in the morning. Doing your day-to-day activities with diligence and complete awareness is a form of yoga as well," he said.

"In a world of excess, yoga promises restraint and balance. In a world suffering from mental stress, yoga promises calm. In a distracted world, yoga helps focus. In a world of fear, yoga promises hope, strength and courage."

Earlier, the Prime Minister took to social media to share the intricacies of various yoga asanas and posted pictures of people performing yoga at various locations across the world.