Ahmedabad, June 19 (IANS) On the occasion of the 11th International Yoga Day on June 21, Gujarat is set to host a special celebration in Vadnagar, the hometown of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Prime Minister will join the national celebration from Visakhapatnam, delivering a message of wellness and unity, while his home state leads the charge with a sweeping state-level event at Sarmishta Lake in Vadnagar.

In total, the state expects participation from over 1.5 crore people, with events being held at over 60,000 locations, including 45,000 primary schools, 12,500 secondary schools, 2,600 colleges, and 3 universities.

Over 5.73 lakh students and teachers are expected to participate in yoga sessions across campuses.

The campaign has also extended to 18,226 gram panchayats, 251 taluka panchayats, and all 33 district police headquarters, with yoga programmes to be held at 287 ITIs, 1,477 PHCs, 6,500 wellness centres, 30 prisons, and 1,152 police stations.

Mass yoga will also take place at 100 Amrit Sarovar lakes across the state.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will lead the main session in Vadnagar, joined by Health Minister Rishikesh Patel and Minister of State for Sports Harsh Sanghavi, as thousands gather to take part in a historic mass yoga performance. Gujarat has also set its sights on a world record in the Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) during the event.

Celebrated under the global theme “Yoga for One Earth – One Health”, the event reflects Gujarat’s local campaign “Swasth Gujarat – Medasvita Mukt Gujarat” (Healthy and Obesity-Free Gujarat).

With more than 1.5 crore citizens expected to participate across over 60,000 locations, this year’s celebration aims to be Gujarat’s most inclusive and expansive yet.

Preceding the main event, countdown celebrations were held in Vadnagar, including yoga and Surya Namaskar sessions at 11 iconic locations, such as Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Tana-Riri Garden, Kirti Toran, Vadnagar Museum, and the local railway station.

As part of the buildup, more than 35 large-scale yoga events — each accommodating over 1,000 people — have already been held across Junagadh, Porbandar, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, alongside common yoga protocol sessions in every district between June 15 and 20. Last year, Gujarat recorded 1.31 crore participants on the 10th International Yoga Day, the highest in India.

–IANS

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