Yoga day on June 21 to be a global affair

NEW DELHI: The Modi government's yoga focus may not have gone down well with some but that certainly is not a deterrent for India's missions abroad which are working overtime to commemorate the first UN International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21.

Cutting across continents, India's missions are busy chalking out plans to hold free yoga classes and mega shows on the day to explain to the world the efficacy of what remains India's most famous export to the world. The UNGA declared June 21, the summer solstice, as the International Day of Yoga after Modi himself mooted the idea last year in his speech at the General Assembly .

While the Indian missions in all P5 countries will celebrate the IDY by organizing free yoga classes and screening movies on the discipline, even distant Argentina is said to be buzzing with anticipation over the Indian embassy's yoga outreach.

India's ambassador to Argentina Amarendra Khatua said the Indian embassy in Buenos Aires is expecting participation of a million Argentines in programmes being organized all over the country. "These will take place in each province, each municipality of the country. We will also have seven-day yoga classes ending June 21 in all universities and a mega show at Dorego in Buenos Aires with participation of most of the 120 yoga bodies active here," he said.

Similarly in Thailand, the Indian embassy will host a yoga event on June 21 which, according to India's ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla, will be attended by 5,000 people. "All participants will be given a T-shirt with an IDY logo, a yoga mat, energy drinks and refreshments free of cost," he said.