Yog mahotsav begins in Rishikesh

An international yoga festival began in Rishikesh on Sunday with yoga teachers and practitioners from eleven countries taking part in the week-long event.

Inaugurating the annual event known as "antar rashtriya yog mahotsav", Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked people to make yoga part of their daily routine to lead a disease-free life.

Describing yoga as the way to physical and spiritual health, he said it had its origin in Uttarakhand and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking it to the world.

"The credit for the prestige accorded to yoga internationally goes to the prime minister. It is due to his efforts that more than 192 countries in the world are connected with yoga today," Yogi said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said India is known in the world as the land of yoga.

"Yoga is our identity. It is a matter of pride for us that India is now going to the world with its identity under Narendra Modi's leadership," Rawat said.

The 'yog mahotsav' is held in Rishikesh every year from Mar 1 to Mar 7.