1st International Yoga Day on 21st June 2015

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014.^[1] Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India.

The declaration of this day came after the call for the adoption of 21 June as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014^[2][3]wherein he stated:^[4]

"Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. This tradition is 5000 years old. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."

—Narendra Modi, UN General Assembly

In suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga, Narendra Modi had said that the date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world.^[5]

From the perspective of yoga, the Summer Solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The first full moon after Summer Solstice is known as Guru Poornima. According to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, in the yogic lore, the first transmission of yoga by Shiva, the first Guru, is said to have begun on this day.^[6] Dakshinayana is also considered a time when there is natural support for those pursuing spiritual practices.^[7] Govind Gurbani Yog Guru / Vice President of Rajasthan Swasthya Yog Parisad Jaipur India informed that on 21st of June fifty thousand followers of Yoga will perform Yoga in Rajasthan.

As the first rays of a nascent Sunday sun pierced the darkness, all roads led to Delhi's Rajpath, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a gathering of 37,000 people in the first International Yoga Day celebrations.

Modi, who swapped his trademark kurta-pyjama for a white tracksuit and a scarf with the colours of the national flag, went through several ‘asanas’ (postures) of the ancient Indian practice at the event that organisers are hoping will set a new world record for the largest yoga class at a single venue.

“This is a programme for 'manav kalyan’ (welfare of humans), a tension-free world and a programme to spread the message of ‘sadbhavana’ (goodwill)," the Prime Minister said.

Source - Wikipedia and Hindustan times