Over 2.5 mln people are fond of yoga in France: Envoy

Several employees of the French mission here today performed various asanas in the embassy's spacious main hall to mark the International Day of Yoga.

More than 70 staff members practised the ancient discipline during a session -- 'A French Tribute to International Yoga Day in Delhi' -- under the supervision of a yoga teacher, the embassy said in a statement.

"More than 2.5 million people are fond of yoga in France, which makes our country the European hub for yoga," Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler was quoted as saying in the statement.

"Committed all year long to providing a good working environment to its personnel, the Embassy of France in India has been offering daily yoga classes during lunch break on its premises for over six months," he said.

Last week, 10,000 people had gathered in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, the embassy said.

The International Yoga Day was today marked across the world, with Dehradun's famed Forest Research Institute (FRI) hosting the main celebrations in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed yoga with over 50,000 enthusiasts in the sprawling campus of the FRI and said the ancient Indian discipline has emerged as a "powerful unifying" force in a strife-torn world.