The 9th edition of International Day of Yoga 2023 was a successfully celebrated on much larger scale and witnessed new initiatives. The main National event at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh saw enthusiastic participation of more than 15,000 people, who participated in the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) demonstration in presence of vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Meanwhile, prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation through a video message and said he is currently touring the US due to various commitments, unlike previous occasions of Yoga Day when he was present at every edition of International Day of Yoga celebration. However, this year he will lead an IDY event at UN headquarters in New York.

He added that one acquires health, vigour and strength through Yoga and those who have been regularly involved in this practice over the years have felt its energy. The importance of good health at the individual as well as the family level is very important. Yoga creates a healthy and powerful society where the collective energy is much more. Campaigns like Swachh Bharat and Startup India that have helped in building a self-reliant nation and restoring the cultural identity of the country and the country and its youth have contributed a lot to this energy. Today the minds of the country have changed leading to a change in people and their live.

In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, union minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal, union minister of state for Ayush Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, cabinet ministers, MPs from the state, Kamlesh D. Patel, President, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, ministers of Government of MP and officials of Ministry of Ayush were also present at the event.

Dhankhar in his address said that it is a matter of great satisfaction that due to the efforts of our prime minister, Yoga has now become a global festival. Yoga is not only for any individual, but for the whole of humanity. He said that Yoga has also taken an economic form and has positively impacts it. Our trained Yoga teachers are working all over the world and the demand for Yoga teachers is increasing.

Sonowal said, “Under the farsighted and exemplary leadership of prime minister Shri Narendra Modi, International Day of Yoga 2023 is poised to firmly implant ethos of Yoga and Indian traditions upon national and international communities. It will further amplify the message of universal well-being at a global level.”

Patel said in his address “Yoga is very relevant for today’s young generation. Through the benefits of practicing Yoga, they will be able to face future challenges well.”   

Chauhan made an important announcement that his government will include Yoga in school curriculum and implement it in all schools of Madhya Pradesh.   

The highlight of 9th International Day of Yoga was unique concepts of creation of Ocean Ring of Yoga, which was envisaged as a coordinated yoga demonstration in which Indian naval ships stationed at different ports around the world and countries with which India has maritime cooperation and merchant shipping agreements participated in the CYP demonstration.

Nearly 3,500 naval personnel onboard 19 Indian Naval ships travelled over 35,000 Km as ambassadors of Yoga in both national and international waters. This includes over 2,400 personnel on 11 IN ships at foreign ports/international waters. Notably, IDY was celebrated onboard ships of several foreign Navies in concert with our overseas Missions, involving over 1200 foreign Navy personnel.   

Yoga from Arctic to Antarctica was another facet of this year’s IDY where Yoga demonstration was organized in countries falling in and around Prime Meridian line and on North Pole and South Pole regions. Scientists/Researches at India’s research bases in Arctic and Antarctica namely Himadri and Bharati also participated in Yoga demonstration. Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force along with ITBP, BSF, and BRO made a chain of Yoga demonstration in unison named Yoga Bharatmala. Similarly yoga demonstration along Indian coast line and islands termed Yoga Sagarmala was also formed.

For engaging with rural communities Ministry of Ayush had elaborately planned to spread message of “Har Aangan Yoga”. Yoga demonstration was organized at Panchayats, Anganwadi, Health and Wellness Centres, and schools, around 2 lakhs common service centres, Ayush Gram Unit and location around Amrit Sarovar.

The International Day of Yoga was celebrated with a whole government approach, all the key ministries of the Government of India, National and International leading Yoga institutes & organizations and other stakeholders participated in the IDY. Along with these Indian missions and embassies, UN member states and interim office of WHO-GCTM in Jamnagar also organized events to celebrate International Day of Yoga.