PM Modi leads Yoga Day celebration at Rajpath, India sets two world records

NEW DELHI: On a humid summer morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stretched his arms, bent his legs, rolled his neck and twisted every sinew in his body as India celebrated the first International Day of Yoga with gusto, muscling into the Guinness World Records.
Late Sunday evening, it was announced that the Union ministry of Ayush had set two records — for the largest yoga session ever with 35,985 participants and for most nationalities, 84, taking part at a single venue. The earlier record on the first count was held by Vivekanand Kendra, a Gwalior-based institute, with 29,973 participants.
All of last week, the hype surrounding the event was more like a forthcoming Salman film or a world heavyweight title bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Or, both put together. Yet nothing really prepared you for what you saw — a prime minister, literally on the mat, staring at the sky at Rajpath, one of the capital’s most toffee-nosed boulevards.
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Kapalbhati, bhujang aasan, trikon aasan, bharadwaj aasan and more — Modi did the entire 35-minute yoga routine, even taking a brief break to supervise the children behind him. The PM was dressed for the occasion: a full-sleeve white T-shirt and pyjama with a tricolour stole he used to wipe his sweat. But for a brief pranayam, yoga guru Baba Ramdev sat quietly on stage. This was Modi’s show.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs Yoga on International Yoga Day at Rajpath in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI photo)
The event did not begin with chants of Om, a word that had sparked a controversy.

This was a different Rajpath from the one seen on Republic Day ceremonies.
On January 26, the spacious road belongs only to a chosen few. On Sunday, it was a concourse brimming with thousands of schoolkids, college students and practitioners from different yoga institutes. The lawns too were packed. An overwhelming majority wore white T-shirts and dark track pants. Watching them perform on the giant LED screens spread across the area was like witnessing a spectacular synchronicity.
It wasn’t just Delhi. The event spread across India from the silver stretches of the Rann of Kutch to INS Virat on the high seas, to passengers in mid-air on morning flights. Ayush is estimated to have spent Rs 30-40 crore organizing the event across 650 camps. Abroad, enthusiasts spread themselves below the towering irons of Eiffel Tower and the phlegmatic temples of Cambodia.
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But it would be erroneous to look at the NDA government’s initiative as solely the demonstration of the virtues of an ancient Indian practice. Yoga has always been a formidable foot-soldier in India’s quest for soft power. This was taking it to the next level officially. Also, for a government which has been unable to push its social agenda, the event gave an opportunity to do something that its voting core would enjoy without really offending the minority.

“Did anyone ever think Rajpath would become yogpath?” the PM had asked a cheering crowd. But the odd note was that the PM spoke entirely in Hindi, despite the presence of specially invited foreign diplomats and guests.
As a knowledge system, Modi said, yoga has been enriched by contributions from different quarters across the globe. It was more than physical exercise; rather a way to achieve a stress-free life. “Yoga isn’t about bending your body. If this was true, even kids working in a circus would be called yogis. It is more like tuning instruments before a concert. In the ecosystem of yoga, asanas are like that. The real journey is much longer. And we are trying to move in that direction.”
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The PM, whose UN speech last year was pivotal to the announcement of June 21 as International Yoga day, added, “Yoga is for the welfare of humankind, for a stress-free world. It is a programme for love, peace, unity and harmony.”
After the routine, the PM suddenly moved towards a group of children, sending security men into a tizzy. He shook hands with a few and was mobbed by the students. When he left, the security apparatus collectively exhaled.
A few minutes later, a dust storm began. The green carpet spread out throughout the Rajpath was upturned. Soon, it was pouring fast and furious. The organizers escaped a major embarrassment because there was no cover. And the selfie addicts continued to tap away in the rain.
(With inputs from Sushmi Dey)
READ THIS IN HINDI: योग दिवस समारोह में शामिल हुए 35,985 लोग, बने दो वर्ल्ड रेकॉर्ड्स