Washington DC, June 17: Thousands of people participated in the International Yoga Day celebration on Sunday in Washington DC. The Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla has also marked his attendance in the event.
The ambassador told ANI: “We are very happy with the support and participation that we saw today. The participants participated in real zeal and enthusiasm. In Washingon, there is nothing better than iconic Washington Monument, it denotes the capital of the US and it is a spot that represents the city and the country.”
More than 1500 people participated in the celebrations organised by the Indian Embassy ahead of the 5th International Day of Yoga, at Washington Monument in Washington, DC, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/QuydXWbUZm
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2019
Welcoming the attendees, Shringla noted the American people widely embraced yoga after a 2016 survey indicated there were more than 36.7 million Yoga practitioners in the USA marking the nation the second home for Yoga.
The event kick-off with an audio-video message playing received from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to ANI news reports.
Paying his greets to Yoga lovers, Modi explained the role of yoga in achieving “oneness”. The PM emphasized yoga was not just a bunch of exercise but also a passport to health assurance.
Shringla then performed Surya Namaskar in front of the crowd and further recited some verses from the Indian holy book of Bhagwat Gita.
Ambassador from Vietnam and Myanmar, representatives and officials from the US state department, think tanks, academic institution, and World Bank was amongst the yoga practitioners representing as a special guest.
Many US leaders issued felicitation messages and proclamations to commemorate and support the 5th International Day of Yoga and widespread awareness regarding it.
The government of India has conducted a guided yoga session which was based over “Common Yoga Protocol” with the help of yoga demonstrators.