Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in International Yoga Day event at Kolkata's Red Road. (Photo: BJP)International Yoga Day 2026 Live Updates: Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is marking the 12th International Day of Yoga. At an event in Kolkata’s Red Road, Narendra Modi addressed the crowd of participants and said that Yoga has become the world’s largest community celebration. He stressed upon this year’s theme — Yoga for Healthy Ageing — saying: “Our target is to be more flexible at 40 than we were at 20, … to be more energetic than we were at 50 than we were at 30.”
Theme this year: This year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing” highlighted the role of Yoga in promoting physical health, emotional resilience, mental well-being, and active ageing, together contributing to achieving an improved quality of life. The celebrations in Kolkata began on June 19 with a “Run for Yoga” programme across the state. On June 20, observed as West Bengal Day by the state government, a yoga-themed cultural programme titled Vande Yogam was organised on the Hooghly river. Today, Modi kickstarted an event at the Red Road in central Kolkata, addressing the crowd and participating in a common yoga session with thousands of yoga practitioners.
Celebrations across nation: The Yoga Day is being celebrated through various events across nearly 2,500 locations worldwide, with more than 210 Indian missions and posts participating in the programmes, reaffirming yoga’s status as a global movement for health, harmony and collective well-being, the official statement said. Several ministers, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of Foreign Affairs S Jaishankar, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, are taking part in varioys events across India.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday led the yoga day celebrations in the state. They urged people to make this ancient prcatice a part of their daily life.
Adityanath said sages and seers have underlined that practising yoga keeps a person's body free from disease, illness and afflictions of old age. "If you wish to avoid these three, you must make regular yoga a part of one's working style," Adityanath added.
Calling all the youths to make yoga part of their everyday lives, BJP president Nitin Nabin Sunday expressed concern over the drug menace in Punjab, stressing that this "curse" must be rooted out.
Taking part in the International Day of Yoga event in Punjab's Phagwara city, Nabin also underscored making India a developed nation by 2047. "I have asked youths of Punjab if we have to celebrate the International Yoga Day in a real sense, then make it part of their daily lives, and the scourge of drugs has to be eliminated, which is hollowing us out from within, " news agency PTI quoted Nabin said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad perform yoga during a session on the occasion of the International Day of yoga at the Parliament House complex, in New Delhi, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (PTI Photo)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah too took part in a yoga session in Ahmedabad. Sharing the glimpses from his morning ritual today on X, he wrote: "Yoga is India's invaluable gift to humankind which nourishes holistic well-being through energising mind, body, and soul. Joined millions across the world in Yoga Day celebration by participating in a public yoga session in Ahmedabad."
Yoga is India's invaluable gift to humankind which nourishes holistic well-being through energising mind, body and soul. Joined millions across the world in Yoga Day celebration by participating in a public yoga session in Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/Bo68vWmq7r
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 21, 2026
As the world marked the 12th International Yoga Day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yoga has become the largest community celebration globally, binding people across countries and cultures together.
Kicking off the day's celebrations at Kolkata's iconic Red Road, Modi said June 21, the longest day on the Earth, is now known to the world as a day of yoga. Read more
A few glimpses from Yoga Day events in Kolkata. (Express Photos: Partha Paul)
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performs yoga asanas with others participating in a International Yoga Day event at the Eastern Air Command in Shillong.
VIDEO | Meghalaya: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performs yoga asanas as he participates in International Yoga Day celebrations at the Eastern Air Command in Shillong.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 21, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/fyF53yHgED
Marking International Yoga Day, Indian Army personnel and others take part in a yoga session at the Cariappa Parade Ground at Delhi Cantonment.
PHOTO | Delhi: Indian Army personnel and others take part in a yoga session at the Cariappa Parade Ground at Delhi Cantonment to mark the International Day of Yoga.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 21, 2026
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/LKP62OkxKX
PM Modi guides the participants practising yoga at the Red Road event as he leads International Day of Yoga celebrations in Kolkata.
VIDEO | PM Narendra Modi guides the participants practising yoga asanas as he leads International Day of Yoga celebrations from Kolkata’s Red Road.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 21, 2026
(Source: Third Party)#internationalyogaday
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/qfJihN32VL
PM Narendra Modi guides the participants practising yoga asanas as he leads International Day of Yoga celebrations from Kolkata’s Red Road.
Huge number of people participate in Yoga Day celebrations at Red Road, Kolkata.
While addressing a gathering at Kolkata, Modi said: "We should not restrict yoga to only particular occasions, it must be made part of our lives... 'Yoga 365' slogan has been made popular this year by the government, with 100-day online yoga classes."
"Yoga helps us live in balanced manner, teaches us dos and don'ts," said Modi at Yoga Day event in Kolkata
PM Narendra Modi said, "Our target is to be more flexible at 40 than we were at 20. Our target is to be more energetic at 60 than we were in 30."
Addressing a huge gathering at Red Road in Kolkata, PM Modi said, "Yoga is not just physical exercise, not restricted to any age group; it is expression of human spirit."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already reached Kolkata's Red Road to kickstart International Yoga Day celebrations this year.
