Chandigarh, June 21 – Haryana marked the 11th International Yoga Day with great enthusiasm, with the state-level celebrations held at the sacred Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra. Over one lakh people participated in a mass yoga demonstration at the venue, sending a message of holistic well-being to the world. Across 22 districts and 121 blocks, more than 20 lakh people actively took part in yoga sessions, making it a historic day for the state.
Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, AYUSH and Health Minister Kumari Aarti Singh Rao, MP Naveen Jindal, and renowned Ayurveda expert Balkrishna were present at the main event. Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev led the yoga session, while attendees watched a live broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking at the event, CM Nayab Singh Saini made several significant announcements. He introduced a Yoga Writer Promotion Scheme to encourage academic research on yoga in universities, with annual awards for outstanding contributions. Additionally, 100 new yoga and exercise centers will be established this fiscal year, adding to the 883 centers already operational across Haryana.
A major reform was also unveiled in the education system, with plans to implement a credit-based evaluation system for yoga performance in all government schools. Uniform yoga syllabi will be introduced across universities and colleges, making yoga a formal part of academic curricula.
In a significant policy shift, CM Saini declared that yoga and naturopathy would be recognized under the AYUSH medical system, and practitioners will now be officially registered with the state.
To elevate yoga as a sport, trained coaches will be appointed, and 40 yoga teachers will soon be recruited under the sports department to prepare athletes for international competitions. Moreover, a five-minute “Yoga Break” program has been launched in all government offices starting today to help employees relieve stress.
Highlighting the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, CM Saini said, “It is due to the efforts of our Rishis, saints, and especially Prime Minister Modi that yoga has been globally recognized. He gave us the inspirational mantra ‘Khelega Bharat, to Khilega Bharat; Yoga ki Dose, Aadha Ghanta Roz’ which is now resonating with millions.”
Swami Ramdev, who led the main yoga session, praised yoga as the foundation of life, devotion, nature, and culture. He emphasized that thanks to PM Modi’s global outreach at the UN General Assembly, Yoga Day is now celebrated in over 200 countries, making yoga a universal way of life.
CM Saini also inaugurated three booklets on Swami Ramdev’s life and yoga journey and released a yoga protocol booklet prepared by the Haryana Yoga Commission. A video message from Gita Manishi Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj was also shared.
Notable dignitaries including former Minister Subhash Sudha, Haryana Yoga Commission Chairman Dr. Jaideep Arya, Additional Chief Secretary of Health and AYUSH Department Sudhir Rajpal, and AYUSH Director General Sanjeev Verma were present at the occasion.
