On International Yoga Day, PM Modi to Join 35,000 People at Rajpath

PM Modi tweeted early this morning: "Greetings to people around the world on 1st International Day of Yoga! Lets pledge to make Yoga an integral part of our daily lives #YogaDay."

A sea of yoga mats has covered Rajpath, the venue of Republic Day celebrations, where more than 35,000 participants are set to perform yoga in the presence of PM Modi.

PM Modi, who practices yoga daily, will address the gathering but not take to the mat himself.

Union ministers, bureaucrats, soldiers and diplomats are also participating in the event, which will be monitored by the Guinness World Records as the government aims at a record for "largest yoga demonstration or class at a single venue".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will also take part in the Delhi event. "Yoga is a good thing. Everyone should do it," he told reporters at Rajpath.

2,000 huge digital 'cinema screens' are streaming the event at Rajpath, where security arrangements rival Republic Day celebrations. Over 8,000 security personnel are guarding the avenue; traffic restrictions have been in place since June 14.

The day will be observed in over 251 cities in 191 countries across the world; in Britain, mats will be rolled out along the banks of the River Thames. State-run Air India will promote the event mid-air; the staff of budget carrier SpiceJet will even conduct mid-air yoga sessions on some of its Boeing flights.

PM Modi has made Yoga Day a key initiative of his government since he took office 13 months ago. "Yoga has the power to bring the entire humankind together!" Mr Modi tweeted last year after pitching the idea during his speech to the UN General Assembly.

Ms Swaraj will be at the UN's headquarters in New York for the Yoga Day celebrations in Times Square.

The Congress has accused the Narendra Modi government of making "brazen and shameless attempts at usurping" the ancient Indian heritage of yoga and turning it into a "propaganda and public relation exercise."