Over 5,000 participate in grand International Yoga Day event at Gachibowli Stadium

Hyderabad: The International Yoga Day celebrations were held at Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad today, June 21, 2025, organized by the Departments of AYUSH and Health. The event witnessed the participation of over 5,000 people, including dignitaries, officials, students, and yoga enthusiasts, who performed yoga together in a collective display of wellness and discipline.

Governor Dr. Jishnu Dev Varma, Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, Sports Minister Vakkati Sridhar, Sports Authority Chairman Sivasena Reddy, and Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao were among the key attendees.

Speaking at the event, Health Minister Rajanarasimha highlighted the importance of yoga as a gift from India to the world. He acknowledged sage Maharshi Patanjali for introducing the Ashtanga Yoga system, which forms the foundation of modern yoga. He underlined that yoga is more than just physical exercise and it unites the body, mind, and soul.

The minister noted that lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and kidney ailments are on the rise. Despite material wealth, many struggle to find peace of mind, he said, and yoga provides a holistic solution to these challenges. He urged everyone to adopt yoga as a daily practice, stating that all one needs is determination and proper guidance.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the state has taken several steps to promote yoga. A total of 630 yoga instructors have been appointed across Telangana, with recruitment underway for another 264. Regular yoga classes are being held at health sub-centers, and over five lakh people have been trained in yoga in the past year. Efforts are also being made to include yoga in the curriculum of educational institutions.

The minister also announced the launch of a postgraduate course in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, aimed at further strengthening the integration of yoga into mainstream health and wellness initiatives.

The International Day of Yoga, observed annually on June 21, was established by the United Nations in 2014 following a proposal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The day is marked globally to promote the ancient Indian practice of yoga for physical and mental well-being.