International Yoga Day Tomorrow; Rajpath Set To Witness Grand ‘Aasna’ Practice
20 June,New Delhi
In first of its kind, about 200 crore people across the globe are expected to participate in the inaugural first day of International Yoga Day to be celebrated tomorrow,Sunday.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has left for New York to lead the International Yoga Day tomorrow at the United Nations. The Indian Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General of India in New York have also lined up events to mark Yoga Day.
Swaraj, along with the UN Chief and the UNGA President, would visit Times Square where an estimated 30,000 people would practice Yoga and where the UN celebrations would also be broadcast live on giant screens.
Addressing a press briefing, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asoke Mukerji said 256 cities in 192 countries will celebrate the first annual day of Yoga.
In New Delhi, about 40,000 people are expected to participate in the event at Rajpath early morning. Students, volunteers of NCC and Government officials will join to make it a success.
Security arrangements have been made for the tomorrow celebration; thirty companies of security personnel will guard Rajpath and surrounding areas. Around 5,000 armed security personnel including Delhi policemen will be deployed to secure the yoga venue and area around it.
In Nagpur, Union Minister for Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis will participate in the celebration.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will participate at a yoga programme in Lucknow. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu will travel to Chennai where 30,000 people are expected to participate while Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma will visit Noida to participate.
In Chandigarh, nine voluntary organisations will organise yoga camps at different locations. Besides this all government offices and educational institutes will organise camps at more than 100 places. About 3000 school children will participate in the morning camps.
Punjab is celebrating the International Yoga Day tomorrow. State level functions will be held at Amritsar and Fazilka besides celebrating at various districts from 7.00 to 7.35 AM.
The several others State Governments have also made elaborate arrangements on this occasion.