Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations on Saturday from Kolkata's historic Red Road, joining thousands of participants in a mass yoga session that began at 5 AM and drew attendance from people across age groups, including senior citizens, students, and defence personnel.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said yoga had relevance beyond personal health. "Yoga is not only essential for our personal lifestyle today. Yoga is also a necessity for a better future for the world," he said, adding that the goal should be to feel more energetic at 50 than at 30.

Modi, participated in the 40-minute Common Yoga Protocol session alongside the crowd, walking among participants to observe postures and assist in corrections. West Bengal Governor RN Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and several state ministers were also present at the venue, situated between the Indian Army's Eastern Command headquarters and the Maidan.

This year's theme, "Yoga for Healthy Ageing", underscores the importance of yoga as a sustained practice across all stages of life, not just for the elderly.

National and Global Scale

Celebrations were held simultaneously across 100 iconic locations in 23 states and union territories, including the Red Fort in New Delhi, the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, Hampi in Karnataka, Nalanda in Bihar, and Leh in Ladakh. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in Shillong, while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel joined celebrations in Ahmedabad.

More than 210 Indian diplomatic missions abroad organised events across approximately 2,500 locations worldwide, reflecting yoga's continued expansion as a global wellness movement since the United Nations General Assembly adopted India's proposal to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2015. Since the first observance that year, PM Modi has led the national celebration from multiple cities including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mysuru, New York, Srinagar, and Visakhapatnam.