India is celebrating the 5th International Day of Yoga on Friday and PM Narendra Modi led the celebrations from Ranchi.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and others also held different Yoga Day events in Delhi and other cities at the same time as PM Modi was performing in Ranchi.
PM Modi also said the government has been working to make yoga a pillar of preventive healthcare.
Expressing concern that young people are becoming vulnerable to heart ailments, Modi said, “Yoga can play a huge role in tackling the issue and hence, this year’s theme is ‘Yoga for Heart’.”
PM Modi then appealed to the people to take yoga to all sections of society.
“We should make efforts to take yoga from cities to villages, tribal areas. Yoga is above region, above faith, above everything,” Modi told the gathering.
He also stressed that for yoga to become popular, infrastructure for it must be strengthened and said the government was working towards it.
Urging people to make yoga a part of daily life, Modi said, “Peace and harmony are related to yoga. People across the world must practice it.”
The prime minister had arrived in Ranchi on Thursday night to participate in the main event on the International Yoga Day.
Since 2015, the International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on June 21.
Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory for International Day of Yoga.
The Delhi Police has asked commuters to avoid Rajpath and its connecting roads on Friday morning as nearly 30,000 people are expected to throng the Red Fort on the occasion of International Day of Yoga, traffic officials said.
To ensure smooth flow of traffic in and around Red Fort, motorists are advised to avoid Rajpath and its connecting roads as huge public gathering is expected at Rajnath on Friday up to 10 am, they said.
According to the advisory, traffic may be restricted and diverted on certain roads.
Therefore, motorists and commuters are advised to avoid certain roads such as Netaji Subash Marg, Nishad Raj Marg, Rafi Marg, Janpath (between MLNP and Windsor), Man Singh Road (Between Q-point and Jaswant Singh Round About), Maulana Azad Road, Rajnath (Between Vijay Chowk and Man Singh crossing), Krishna Manon Marg, Rajender Prasad Marg during Yoga day celebrations from 5 am to 9.30 am.
Commuters are advised to take alternate routes such as the Ring Road, Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg, Rajesh Pilot Marg, Dr Abdul Kalam Road, Tuglak Road, Mother Teresa Crescent Marg to travel from south to north and vice versa and from east to west and vice versa, the advisory stated.
Approximately 200 buses and 2,000 cars are expected to come at Red Fort. They will be parked in the parking lots at Parade Ground, Sunheri Masjid and Tikona Park. The buses will be parked on service road of the Ring Road behind Red Fort, the advisory added.
METRO SERVICES ON ALL LINES TO BEGIN EARLY ON YOGA DAY
Seeking to facilitate maximum commuters on the International Day of Yoga, Metro services will begin from the terminal stations of all lines on Friday from 4 am, DMRC officials said.
Trains will run with a frequency of 30 minutes till 6 am and normal services will resume thereafter, they said.
“Metro services will begin from the terminal stations of all lines from 4 am tomorrow [Friday] to facilitate the public in reaching various venues for the celebrations,” a senior DMRC official said.
A host of activities have been planned by the government and other agencies to mark the occasion in the national capital.
