June 21 is considered International Yoga Day. The Ministry of Culture plans to celebrate International Day of Yoga at 75 cultural heritage locations across the country.

While Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel would be performing yoga at Delhi’s Red Fort on June 21, at 7 am, other senior officials will conduct yoga camps at other monuments and forts including the Agra Fort, Shanti Stupa in Ladakh, Ellora Caves in Maharashtra and Nalanda in Bihar, as reported by The Indian Express. 

Considering the current ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the number of participants for yoga sessions has been restricted to 20 at each site. Several prominent people will take part in the programmes being organized at these locations. The extensive drive has been titled “Yoga, An Indian Heritage”, and is part of India’s “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” campaign. The event at Red Fort, which has reopened this week will include a 45-minute yoga session, followed by a 30-minute cultural programme, to be performed by awardees from the Sangeet Natak Akademi or Zonal Cultural Centres.

The events will be live-streamed on all the digital platforms and pages of the Ministry of Culture for selected 30 sites out of the total 75 where Yoga Day programmes are being held. Other places in the list of 75 include Rajiv Lochan Temple, Raipur, Kalagram in Chandigarh, Aguada Fort in Goa, Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat, Hansi Fort in Hisar and Akhnoor Fort in Jammu.

This year’s Yoga Day theme is ‘Yoga for well-being’. It emphasises how the practice of Yoga can promote the holistic health of every individual. With the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating psychological suffering and mental health problems, many people have been embracing Yoga to stay healthy and to fight isolation and depression.

As per the UN website, the message of Yoga in promoting both the physical and mental well-being of humanity has never been more relevant. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also asked its member states to practice Yoga and has included it in its Global Action Plan for physical activity 2018-30.

Also Read: International Yoga Day: Significance And Theme You Should Know