Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 11th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Visakhapatnam on June 21, calling yoga a “pause button” in today’s conflict-ridden world and a pathway to peace and unity. Addressing a massive gathering, he highlighted how yoga has become a global movement, transcending boundaries, backgrounds, and abilities. “Let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for humanity 2.0,” he said, urging people worldwide to turn yoga into a revolution and begin each day with it for balance and harmony.

This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” underscores the practice’s global relevance. PM Modi emphasized that yoga connects individuals to collective well-being, turning the mindset from “me to we.” He recalled the unprecedented global support when India proposed June 21 as International Yoga Day at the United Nations General Assembly, with 175 countries backing the resolution. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, also present at the event, praised Modi for making yoga a global wellness movement embraced in over 175 countries and celebrated at more than 12 lakh locations with over 10 crore participants.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is coordinating global observances of the day, organizing events in 191 countries through more than 2,000 programmes at 1,300 locations. In India, iconic sites like Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, and Humayun’s Tomb, as well as historic locations in cities like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Jaipur, and Bhopal, hosted special ‘Yoga Bandhan’ events. PM Modi reaffirmed that yoga is India’s offering of healing to the world and a growing global symbol of harmony, health, and peace.