Amaravati, June 3 (IANS) More than 25,000 people will participate in a yoga event to be organised on the Krishna River West bypass road in Amaravati on June 21 to mark International Yoga Day, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced on Wednesday.

The state will organise the Yoga Andhra 2026 campaign from June 7 to June 20 across the state.

He told media persons on Wednesday that the state aims to engage 1 crore people in yoga activities this year.

Stating that Yoga must become a habit and a daily practice in every household, he said it should evolve into a powerful movement for building a healthy Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister said that efforts are on to integrate yoga into educational institutions to build a healthier and stronger generation for the future.

CM Naidu said that yoga is India’s invaluable gift to the world and remains one of the most effective solutions to address the growing challenges of stress, anxiety and lifestyle-related health disorders. “Yoga is a comprehensive wellness practice that promotes physical fitness, mental peace and spiritual growth”, he said.

The Chief Minister highlighted the remarkable success of last year’s Yoga Andhra programme, which brought national and international recognition to Andhra Pradesh.

The event, organised in Visakhapatnam in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, created multiple records and earned prestigious recognitions, including two Guinness World Records, 21 World Book of Records, Skoch award. He said during Yoga Andhra 2025, around 2.44 crore people registered for participation. Certificates were issued to 1.91 crore participants, and yoga activities were conducted at 1.33 lakh venues with 1.53 lakh trainers.

The Chief Minister said special district-wise themes have been designed to encourage participation from diverse sections of society. Programmes will be conducted with specific groups, such as police personnel in the NTR district and farmers in the Konaseema district.

Each district headquarters will host yoga events. In addition, the government will organise special yoga sessions at 56 prominent tourist destinations across the state to promote Yoga Tourism.

Historic and spiritual locations, including Undavalli Caves and Srisailam, will serve as venues for yoga events, combining wellness with tourism promotion.

The Chief Minister said yoga forms an important component of the Swarna Andhra 2047 Vision, with a long-term objective of improving public health outcomes across the state.

The key targets include training of 10 lakh certified yoga practitioners, expanding the trainer network to 2.5 lakh yoga instructors and encouraging 1 crore people to practice yoga regularly throughout the year.

To support these efforts, the state government has allocated Rs 10 crore as a special budget for Yoga Andhra 2026, covering infrastructure, publicity and event management at district and local levels.

The Chief Minister emphasised that yoga should not be limited to annual celebrations and announced plans to continue yoga promotion throughout the year.

The Chief Minister said the Government is receiving guidance from wellness expert Dr Manthena Satyanarayana Raju to strengthen Yoga Andhra 2026. To facilitate wider outreach, more than 168 educational yoga videos have been developed.

Citizens can access yoga content by sending a “Hi” message to WhatsApp number 81424 04888.

The Chief Minister appealed to social media influencers, television channels and cable networks to voluntarily support the yoga awareness programme.

He said that special efforts are being made to promote yoga among women, youth, and students. The government is working towards integrating yoga into educational institutions so that healthy habits can be developed from an early age. “If children adopt yoga at a young age, we can build a healthier and stronger generation for the future,” the Chief Minister said.

CM Naidu launched the Yoga Andhra Portal, which will serve as the central platform for registrations, programme schedules, instructional videos and other information related to Yoga Andhra 2026. The portal can be accessed at yogandhra.ap.gov.in.

–IANS

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