From Siachen to South China Sea, Indian armed forces mark International Yoga Day

NEW DELHI: From ice-capped Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world, to the warships in the contentious South China Sea, Indian armed forces today joined the International Yoga Day celebrations.

Top defence officers led by Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and Navy's Admiral RK Dhowan were present at the Rajpath doing yoga where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a mega event to mark the day.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was in Meerut for the yoga day celebrations. But perhaps the show-stealer were the soldiers doing yoga in full gear on the Siachen Glacier at a height of 18,800 feet above sea level.

Dressed in their special weather clothing, the soldiers practised yoga while sitting on mats placed over the snow.

At about 7 AM, the temperature at Siachen was -4 degree Celsius. Yoga sessions were also carried out by the Army in various units across the country including Kargil, Ladakh.

Not to be left behind, the Navy held yoga sessions across its installations and on Indian Navy ships deployed overseas in South China Sea.

INS Ranvir, Satpura, Kamorta and Shakti celebrated the International Yoga Day in the South China region with the theme 'Across the Oceans'.

The Indian Air Force too carried out yoga sessions across the country which included not just the airmen but also their families.

India led 191 nations to mark the International Yoga Day, highlighted by a mega event here on Rajpath where armed forces personnel, NCC cadets and government officials were among the participants.

The UN General Assembly had in December last year adopted an India-led resolution, supported by over 175 UN member states, declaring June 21 as International Day of Yoga, recognising that "Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being".

The day is being observed in over 251 cities in 191 countries across the world.