Indian Embassy in Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust organise joint yoga session ahead of International Day of Yoga
Lumbini, June 21
The Indian Embassy in Nepal, in collaboration with the Lumbini Development Trust, organised a yoga demonstration in Lumbini as part of celebrations leading up to the International Day of Yoga, bringing together senior dignitaries and hundreds of yoga enthusiasts.
The event was held near the Eternal Peace Flame and the Maya Devi Temple in the Lumbini Sanskritik area on Saturday, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Organised annually ahead of the International Day of Yoga, the programme aimed to promote the values of health, harmony and holistic well-being associated with the ancient practice.
According to the Indian Embassy in Nepal, the event was attended by Krishna Bahadur Gharti Magar, Governor of Lumbini Province, who participated as the Chief Guest along with more than 600 yoga enthusiasts.
In a post on X, the Embassy highlighted the significance of the event and the participation of the local community.
"Embassy of India @IndiaInNepal, in collaboration with @Lumbinidtrust, organized a yoga demonstration near the Eternal Peace Flame and Maya Devi Temple, in Lumbini Sanskritik area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site," the Embassy wrote.
"H.E. Krishna Bahadur Gharti Magar, Hon'ble Governor of Lumbini Province, attended the event as the Chief Guest. Held annually as a part of the International Day of Yoga celebrations, the event brought together more than 600 yoga enthusiasts promoting Yoga's timeless values of health, harmony, and hollistic well-being," it added.
Earlier in the day, Narayan Singh, First Secretary, Admin and D&PR wing of the Indian Embassy in Nepal, highlighted the significance of the location and noted that hosting the event in Lumbini adds unique global visibility to both the occasion and the sacred site.
"Lumbini is the birthplace of Buddha, such an important place and holding International Day of Yoga gives visibility to both the event and this place, which is of great significance to the world," Narayan Singh, First Secretary, Admin and D&PR wing of the Indian Embassy in Nepal, told ANI.
The United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014, following the proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the opening of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2014.
This ushered in an era of holistic health revolution, in which attention was given to prevention rather than cure. Since its first edition in 2015, India has led the celebration globally under the aegis of the Ministry of AYUSH, with active support from state governments, Indian missions abroad and UN agencies.2026 marks the 12th year of International Yoga Day.
The theme for this year's observance is "Yoga for Healthy Ageing", which highlights the role of yoga in helping people remain active, independent and engaged across all age groups.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative but honestly, we should focus more on actual development projects in Nepal rather than just symbolic events. Yoga is great but our border infrastructure with Nepal needs serious attention. Just saying. 🇮🇳
As someone who practices yoga daily, this makes my heart swell with pride! The theme "Yoga for Healthy Ageing" is so relevant for our aging population in India. And doing it in Lumbini - where Lord Buddha taught compassion - it's just perfect 🙏
Over 600 people attending? That's fantastic! Yoga unites us all beyond borders. Major kudos to our embassy team in Nepal for this beautiful collaboration with Lumbini Development Trust. 🙏🤸♂️
So proud that PM Modi's UN proposal has grown into a global phenomenon! 🧘 From New York to Lumbini, yoga is India's gift to the world. The event near the Eternal Peace Flame and Maya Devi Temple must have been surreal. Wish I was there!
Nothing wrong with this per se, but I wish our government would put similar energy into cleaning up our own heritage sites. Yoga is great, but let's not forget our own ghats and temples need preservation too. Balance, yaar.
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