New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the coming together of more than 180 countries on India's call is historic and unprecedented and recalled the support of a record number of countries in 2014 when the proposal for Yoga Day was tabled in the UN General Assembly making Yoga a global movement and a global spirit through the International Day of Yoga.

Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the national celebration of International Day of Yoga via video message today, conveyed his best wishes to the citizens on the International Day of Yoga and explained that he is connecting with them via a video message as he is currently touring the United States of America due to various commitments, unlike previous occasions of Yoga Day when he was present here.

Highlighting the idea of the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’ which makes Yoga Day even more special, he said that it is based on the mutual relation between the idea of yoga and the expanse of the ocean. Modi also highlighted the ‘Yoga Bharatmala and Yoga Sagarmala’ made by Army personnel using water sources. Similarly, he continued, India's two research bases from the Arctic to Antarctica, i.e., the two poles of the earth are also connected with yoga. He emphasized that the participation of crores of people from all over the country and the world in this unique celebration in such a spontaneous manner shows the vastness and fame of Yoga.

“What unites us is Yoga,” the Prime Minister explained, quoting the sages. He further added that the propagation of Yoga is an extension of the idea that the whole world is included as one family. Highlighting the theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ for the G20 Summit being chaired by India this year, the Prime Minister underlined that the propagation of Yoga is the propagation of the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.’ “Today, crores of people all over the world are doing yoga together on the theme of ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” he added.

The Prime Minister stated that by giving reference to the Yoga scriptures that one acquires health, vigour and strength through Yoga and those who have been regularly involved in this practice over the years have felt its energy. Underlining the importance of good health at the individual as well as the family level, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that Yoga creates a healthy and powerful society where the collective energy is much more. He highlighted the campaigns like Swachh Bharat and Startup India that have helped in building a self-reliant nation and restoring the cultural identity of the country and said that the country and its youth have contributed a lot to this energy.

The Prime Minister remarked that India's culture and social structure, its spirituality and ideals, and its philosophy and vision have always nurtured traditions that unite, adopt and embrace. He further added that Indians have welcomed new ideas and conserved them as he highlighted the country’s celebrated rich diversity. He said that Yoga strengthens such feelings, expands the inner vision, and connects us with that consciousness which makes us feel the unity of the living being giving a basis of love for the living being.

Concluding the address, Prime Minister Modi quoted a Shloka about Yoga and explained that skill in action is yoga. He emphasized that this mantra is very important for everyone in the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal and that perfection of Yoga is achieved when one is truly devoted to their duties. “Through Yoga, we know the selfless action, we decide the journey from Karma to Karma Yoga,” Modi said as he expressed confidence that with yoga, we will improve our health and also imbibe these resolutions. “Our physical strength, our mental expansion will become the basis of a developed India,” he concluded. /BI/