PM Modi says yoga has become world's largest community celebration
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (June 21, 2026) said that yoga unites people and has become the world's largest community celebration. He made the remarks while participating in an International Yoga Day event in Kolkata.
“June 21, in some parts of the Earth marks the longest day, and because of International Yoga Day, this day has also become the day of the world’s largest collective celebration,” Mr. Modi said at the event held on Kolkata's Red Road, where he performed yoga alongside a crowd of about 35,000 people.
The Prime Minister credited spiritual figures such as Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Aurobindo and Lahiri Mahasaya for advancing the yoga tradition. He emphasised that the sense of connection is the core of yoga, adding that the whole country and the world feel connected through this practice.
International Yoga Day was first proposed by Prime Minister Modi at the United Nations on September 27, 2014. The UN officially declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga on December 11, 2014, with support from 193 member states and 173 co-sponsors. Since then, it has been celebrated globally every year.
This year's theme is 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'. Mr. Modi said yoga promotes physical health, mental well-being and active ageing, improving quality of life. He also urged people to make yoga a part of their daily lives rather than limiting it to special occasions.
“Let us pledge not to limit Yoga to just one day or a single event; let us make Yoga an integral part of our lives, our families, and the lives of future generations,” he said.
The event in Kolkata was the first time International Yoga Day celebrations were held in the city on such a scale. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and several other BJP leaders and ministers were present. The venue and the Kolkata riverfront were decorated, and screens were set up across the city to livestream the event.
Mr. Modi expressed gratitude to the people of Kolkata for hosting the event, posting on social media: “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my brothers and sisters in Kolkata for being such extraordinary hosts for this year’s International Yoga Day event. Celebrating International Yoga Day in such a vibrant city is truly an honor.” He also praised a citywide cleanliness drive held in conjunction with the event.
