International Yoga Day: PM Modi to lead special Yoga session at UN headquarters today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a unique yoga session on Wednesday in a historic celebration to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters that will see participation from top UN officials, envoys from across the world and prominent individuals.

"Landed in New York City. Looking forward to the programmes here including interaction with thought leaders and the Yoga Day programme tomorrow, 21st June," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Modi is here on the first leg of his first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

Nine years after Prime Minister Modi first proposed from the United Nations General Assembly podium to mark International Yoga Day as an annual commemoration, the Indian leader will for the first time be at the UN Headquarters to lead the yoga session in a historic commemoration of the day.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj told PTI in an interview that the yoga celebration this year will be a very “unique occasion” because it was Prime Minister Modi who had given this vision and it was his leadership that ensured that June 21 every year is celebrated as International Yoga Day.

"So about nine years later, the author of that vision comes to the United Nations,” she said, adding that now Yoga Day is an UN-mandated occasion. "So the coming together of the two- the visionary leader and the United Nations, I think, is in itself very unique,” Kamboj said.

She said that the yoga event is generating a lot of anticipation and excitement and is very heavily subscribed. "The international element is very high. There's a lot of interest, which is in itself, I would say, a sort of attribute to yoga, this ancient Indian practice, the fact that it has transcended all borders and it has become a global phenomenon.” Kamboj added that the “fact that there will be children performing yoga onstage is very unique. So altogether I think it is going to be quite a one of its kind event.”

Prime Minister Modi will be paying his respects to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi that now "proudly adorns” the North Lawn of the UN headquarters where the yoga will also be conducted. "There is also a memorial to the fallen Peacekeeper which is, I think, very poignant and very significant given that India is the largest troop and police contributing country,” to UN peacekeepers, Kamboj said.

The historic yoga session is expected to be attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from Member States as well as prominent members of the global and diaspora community.