India celebrates International Yoga Day, PM Modi performs asanas in Lucknow

More than 40,000 people joined the event in Ambedkar Sabha Sthal here as they performed asanas in presence of the Prime Minister and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Modi was seen wearing a white T-shit and loose white trouser in the event.

"In addition to fitness, wellness is important... Yoga is a medium to achieve wellness. I urge everyone to make Yoga a part of their lives," he said.

"Yoga is about health assurance. It is not even expensive to practice," he said.

Yoga Day celebration is going on across the nation.

In Delhi, Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Vijay Goel, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind  particiapted in the event at Connaught Place area in the city.

Naidu tweeted: "Thanks to PM Modi, Yoga is now an international art; it's neither political nor religious. It brings peace, good health & unity #Yogaday2017."

Yoga guru Swami Ramdev and Amit Shah performed asanas in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat where people in large numbers joined them in observeing the special yoga day event.

"Lakhs of Yogis joined @yogrishiramdev,@AmitShah, @vijayrupanibjp, @anandibenpatel, @Nitinbhai_Patel at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad for #IDY2017," Swami Ramdev tweeted.

Yoga events are expected to be held across 180 countries on Wednesday, media reports said.

Modi, three years ago, had pursued the United Nations to declare June 21 to be marked as International Yoga Day.

This is the third edition of Yoga Day, which started in 2015 and is annually celebrated worldwide on Jun 21.

Derived from the Sanskrit word 'yuj', yoga is union of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit.

The practice is 10,000 years old and originated in ancient India.

Traces of it can be found in the Rig Veda, the world's oldest surviving literature.

Images: Swami Ramdev, Yogi Adityanath, M Venkaiah Naidu‏ Twitter pages,  narendramodi.in