NEW DELHI: U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma was among scores of diplomats who attended the mega event.
Surprising many, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed asanas as he led the first ever International Yoga Day celebrations at the imposing Rajpath with over 35,000 participants including diplomats, soldiers and students.
The entire two-km stretch from Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate was lined with blue and red mats over green carpets with people of all ages twisting, bending and stretching on the ceremonial road performing various yoga exercises.
Modi expressed his gratitude to the United Nations and 193 countries for their "unprecedented support" in passing a resolution moved by India to declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga and said a "new era" is beginning to train the human mind to scale new heights of peace and harmony. Modi also cautioned against commodifying yoga.
Before surprising everyone by joining the mass session, the Prime Minister said, "Who would have thought that Rajpath would become Yoga Path?"An avid yoga practitioner, 64-year-old Modi was not scheduled to perform the 'asanas' at Rajpath -- located between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan -- but he climbed down from the podium after his address to join the over 35,000 participants, including students and officials, in the mass demonstration.
Attired in a white sweat shirt and trousers and a tricolour scarf, Modi did most of the 21 'asanas' along with thousands of participants as part of the common yoga protocol, following simultaneous instructions in Hindi and English and watching instructors on big digital screens at Rajpath.
US Ambassador to India Richard Verma was among scores of diplomats who attended the mega event.
Several top bureaucrats, including secretaries to union ministries and officials from the PMO were also present. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung were also present on the occasion, but were seated in separate enclosures.
Later, addressing a two-day international conference on yoga for holistic health here, Modi said, "if we make yoga a commodity, then maximum damage to it will be done by us. Yoga is not a commodity, yoga is not a brand which has to be sold."Drawing attention to boards of "pure ghee" shops in the market, Modi said that 50 years back these were never seen but today they exist because money is there. "This should never happen in relation to yoga. Never should a time come when we hear that only my yoga is true and all the rest are uselessly holding their nose and spending dollars. This is not a trade or organisation but a state of mind (vyapaar ya vyavastha nahin avastha hai)." The Prime Minister cautioned against oneupmanship on the ancient practice, saying it belongs to all countries and all communities.
Yoga exponent Ramdev, who shared the dais with him at Rajpath as well as at the conference, said yoga is "scientific, universal and secular".
Of the 177 countries, which backed the Indian resolution on the Yoga Day in UN, 47 were Muslim countries.
The Prime Minister chose the occasion to make a pledge that the spirit of India and the collective entry of its people will works to the creation of a more equal world, a world without fear, a world of peace and foster culture of inclusiveness, of fraternity and of one global family.
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