Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: Yoga brings peace to our universe and led the main event of International Yoga Day against the backdrop of Karnataka’s iconic Mysuru Palace today. Thousands of people joined the Prime Minister’s mass yoga demonstration in Mysuru.

Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar of the Mysuru dynasty and “Rajmata” Promoda Devi were present.

Addressing the inaugural function of the eighth edition of International Yoga Day in Mysuru, a traditional city of Karnataka, PM Modi said, “I wish everyone a happy eighth International Yoga Day. Yoga is being practised all over the world today. Yoga brings peace. It brings peace to us, not just individuals.” He said that yoga is not just for one person but for the whole of humanity.

The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Yoga for Humanity’. After much discussion and consultation, the theme has been chosen, and it accurately depicts how yoga at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic has served humanity in alleviating human suffering and the post-Covid geopolitical situation. Through empathy, kindness unites people, awakens a sense of unity, and builds resilience among people around the world.

The Yoga Programme in Mysuru is part of the “Guardian Yoga Ring”, a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and the UN with Indian missions abroad to demonstrate the power of yoga integration across national borders.
Since 2015, International Yoga Day has been celebrated worldwide on June 21.