As the world marked the 12th International Yoga Day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yoga has become the largest global community celebration, binding people across countries and cultures.
Kicking off the day’s celebrations at Kolkata’s iconic Red Road, Modi said June 21, the longest day of the year, or summer solstice, in the northern hemisphere, is now known to the world as a day of yoga.
“June 21, which marks the longest day on Earth, has now become the largest community celebration day because of yoga. Yoga brings people together. I congratulate the people of the world on this occasion,” he said.
He also emphasised this year’s theme for the celebrations, ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’, and said, “Yoga is not just physical exercise, not restricted to any age group; it is an expression of human spirit.”
He said the aim should be to become more flexible at 40 than at 20, and more energetic at 50 than at 30. He added that this ancient practice plays a crucial role in promoting physical health, mental well-being, and active ageing, thereby improving the quality of life.
Flanked on the stage by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Governor R N Ravi, PM Modi practiced a series of asanas before walking through the crowds to interact with participants, occasionally pausing to correct their postures.
He also invoked the philosophies of Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, and Rishi Aurobindo to underscore the spiritual and social depth of the practice.
“Tagore believed that human identity lies in staying connected with the people around us. Yoga speaks of this connection. Maharishi Aurobindo used to say that our entire life is yoga. Therefore, yoga is not just physical postures… it is the expression of consciousness in human life.”
Adhikari thanked Modi for elevating yoga to a global platform. Given the state’s political landscape, Adhikari claimed that although International Yoga Day began 12 years ago, it had never been officially celebrated as a government-backed initiative in West Bengal until the BJP government took office.
The CM credited Modi for the achievement of “bringing yoga home”, while stressing that the tradition of yoga had been practised in Bengal for over a century.
Yoga events beyond Red Road
The fervour was mirrored across the state. Large digital screens were installed in various neighbourhoods of Kolkata, broadcasting the Red Road event live to residents who had laid out mats to practice in local parks and open fields.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials said yoga sessions were held at more than 40 parks across the city. Among them are: Tala Jheel Park, Bagbazar Park, Deshbandhu Park, Sraddhananda Park, Elliot Park, College Square, Ramlila Maidan, Deshapriya Park and Chetla Park.
Beyond the capital, major events were recorded at the Hooghly Imambara, the Chandannagar Strand, where Everest-conquering mountaineer Piyali Basak joined thousands of practitioners, and the Kapil Muni Ashram in Gangasagar, which drew a diverse crowd of nearly 3,000 women, children, and elderly citizens led by South 24 Parganas District Magistrate Abhishek Tiwari.
After the conclusion of the Red Road session, PM Modi briefly returned to Lok Bhavan, where he had stayed overnight after a West Bengal Day programme in Tarakeswar on Saturday. He then proceeded to Garden Reach to commission three new Naval warships before flying back to New Delhi later in the morning.
Taking to social media to reflect on the morning’s event, Modi posted, “An unprecedented Yoga Day event took place at Kolkata’s Red Road on Sunday. People from all walks of life participated in it… Yoga is essential to stay healthy and fit even in old age.”
Thanking the citizens for participating in the event, the PM posted on X: “I would like to express my gratitude to my brothers and sisters of Kolkata for being such wonderful hosts for this year’s Yoga Day celebrations. It is a matter of great honour to celebrate Yoga Day in such a vibrant city.”
Modi also praised the cleanliness drive conducted across the city in the run-up to the event, saying it had conveyed an important message on civic responsibility.
Metro service from 4 am
To accommodate the anticipated influx of over 30,000 participants, as well as students appearing for the NEET-UG examination later in the day, the Kolkata Metro made history by commencing operations at 4 am, nearly 5 hours ahead of its usual schedule. A total of 214 services ran on the Blue Line, 173 on the Green Line, and 112 on the Yellow Line, ensuring seamless transit for citizens from far-flung districts arriving at central hubs like Esplanade and Park Street.
Meanwhile, security across central Kolkata was dramatically tightened. Red Road was completely cordoned off to vehicular traffic, with access restricted to registered participants only. Major thoroughfares, including Mayo Road, Hospital Road, Casuarina Avenue, and Kidderpore Road, were closed as multi-layered security cordons, manned by top state administrative and police officials, secured the perimeter around Fort William and the main venue.
–WITH PTI INPUTS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi overseeing Yoga session at Red Road in Kolkata on Sunday. (Photo Credit: BJP) 
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