Yoga cuts across differences of colour, caste and creed: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that yoga helps individuals and societies to discover a sense of oneness and added that the reach and spread of the discipline cuts across the differences of colour, caste and creed.

"I am grateful to the international community, for the support [for International Yoga Day]. I acknowledge with all humility that this support is not just for India, this support is for the great tradition of yoga, the tradition that helps individuals and societies to discover a sense of oneness with self, each other and nature. The reach and spread of yoga spans continents, cuts across differences of colour, caste and creed. I am told that there are communities of yoga practitioners in almost every country in the world," Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing the International Conference on Yoga for Holistic Health in the national capital.

Expressing delight at the response shown by countries across the world for International Yoga Day, the Prime Minister said that the event had brought the hearts and minds of the people together.

"When I spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2014, urging the world community to adopt an international day of yoga, little did I know of the kind of unprecedented response our proposal would receive....On December 11, 2014, the 193 member United Nations General Assembly approved the proposal by consensus with record 177 co-sponsoring countries," he said.

"As I stand here, the International Yoga Day is being celebrated across the world...From sunrise in the far east to the sunset in the furthest corner of the western hemisphere, people will join in this great celebration of yoga today....This solidarity in yoga, this coming together with our brothers and sisters in other countries brings our hearts and minds closer," he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi, who inaugurated the International Yoga Day celebrations in Delhi, dubbed the event as the beginning of a new era of peace and goodwill, thanking all those who have contributed to the development of the great discipline.

An estimated 40,000 people participated in the celebrations at Rajpath, with around two billion people taking part across the world.