The second International Yoga Day has been celebrated across the world. More than 135 countries have been participated in the Yoga festival. President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers leads the different events on the 2nd International Yoga Day with thousands of people across the country.

President Pranab Mukherjee said that, Yoga provided mental and physical strength to people. “It will enable them to live a healthy life. It will create overall harmony between body and mind. It will enhance mental and physical well-being.”

“Make yoga a part of your life,” Modi said thousands of yoga enthusiasts. “Just as the mobile phone is now a part of your life, make yoga too a part of your life.”

"With the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes? It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. We should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease,” he said. 

Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu described yoga as a great “ancient powerful technique." “Yoga brings several kinds of benefits. It’s a great ancient powerful technique,” he said. “Yoga in essence is the integration of body, mind and intellect with the self, individual with the family, the family with the society, society with the nation and the nation with the whole creation.”

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, said that, “On this International Day of Yoga, I urge everyone to embrace healthier choices and lifestyles and to commit to unity with our fellow human beings, regardless of ethnicity, faith, age, gender identity or sexual orientation. Let us celebrate this Day — and every day as members of one human family sharing one common, precious home.”

“Yoga balances body and soul, physical health and mental well-being. It promotes harmony among people, and between ourselves and the natural world,” he said, adding that the United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in recognition of its “universal appeal”.

“Practising yoga can also help raise awareness of our role as consumers of the planet’s resources and as individuals with a duty to respect and live in peace with our neighbours. All these elements are essential to building a sustainable future of dignity and opportunity for all,” he added.

“Practising yoga can also help raise awareness of our role as consumers of the planet’s resources and as individuals with a duty to respect and live in peace with our neighbors. All these elements are essential to building a sustainable future of dignity and opportunity for all,” he said.

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