Under the guidance of Pujya Swami Ramdev Ji Maharaj, the 11th International Yoga Day was grandly celebrated in Kurukshetra through a joint initiative of Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haryana Yoga Commission, and the AYUSH Department, Haryana. The event witnessed an extraordinary participation of over 1 lakh yoga practitioners performing yoga together at the sacred Brahma Sarovar, setting a new milestone in collective yoga practice.
Present at the event were Swami Ramdev Ji Maharaj, Acharya Balkrishna Ji Maharaj, and Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini, who led the yoga session. As part of the nationwide outreach, free yoga training sessions were held in all 650 districts of India through Patanjali Yog Samiti under the Common Yoga Protocol.
Swami Ramdev Ji emphasised, “Yoga is the essence of Sanatan Dharma and the eternal truth. Yoga has now become a Yugdharma.” He further stated that over 2 billion people across 200 countries are practicing yoga today. Highlighting the holistic power of yoga, he described it as unmatched knowledge rooted in Indian culture, values, and nature, and as the basis of intellect, action, nature, and culture.
He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written letters to all village heads, urging them to promote yoga in their communities, and emphasized the need for sarpanches and gram pradhans to become “Yog Panch” and “Yog Pradhan.” Swami Ji also pointed out that India’s top leaders, including the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister, Governors, and Chief Ministers are all practicing yoga regularly.
Yoga as a Solution to National Health Challenges
Swami Ramdev stressed the potential of yoga in drastically reducing the nation’s healthcare costs. “Currently, India spends ₹10 lakh crore annually on medicines. If every citizen practices yoga daily, this budget can be reduced to zero,” he asserted.
Describing yoga as a centuries-old spiritual and cultural heritage, he highlighted the individual and collective practices of Ashtanga Yoga, Dhyan Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kriya Yoga, and Hatha Yoga. He called for the adoption of yoga-based life systems rooted in eternal, scientific, and universal principles.
Sankalp for Yoga and Swadeshi
On the occasion, Swami Ji administered an oath to participants to adopt yoga and Swadeshi. He cited data from Oxfam Global UK and other sources indicating that between 1765 and 1900, foreign powers and companies looted over $100 trillion from India, a process he claimed is still ongoing. Emphasizing the role of Swadeshi in restoring India’s economic might, he encouraged citizens to make a list of daily-use products and replace foreign goods with indigenous ones.
Patanjali, under the banner “Prosperity for Charity,” has pledged to invest 100% of its profits in the service of the nation. Swami Ji also spoke about freeing the country from the colonial Macaulay education system, emphasizing the role of institutions like Patanjali Gurukulam and Acharyakulam in creating value-based education through the Bharatiya Shiksha Board (BSB). He called on parents to enroll their children in these institutions and schools to affiliate with the BSB to contribute to nation-building.
Research and Healing Power of Yoga
Acharya Balkrishna Ji highlighted that even 30 to 60 minutes of daily yoga practice can bring health, happiness, and longevity. He said yoga has the capability to control and even reverse diseases while enhancing anti-aging and immunity. He shared that thousands of high-impact global research papers have validated yoga’s benefits, including those published by Patanjali Research Foundation.
Government’s Commitment to Yoga Promotion
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini reiterated the government’s commitment to spreading yoga and making Haryana free from addiction and stress. Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister Aarti Rao, MP Naveen Jindal, AYUSH Department Director Sanjeev Verma, and senior members from Patanjali and Haryana Yoga Commission, including Sadhvi Devpriya Ji, Bhai Rakesh Ji, Bhai Jaideep Ji, Eesh Kumar Arya Ji, and Sister Amar Ji, were also present.
Extensive efforts ensured participation from over 400 villages across Haryana, with more than 11 lakh people joining the event online from district and tehsil levels throughout the state.
This year’s theme for International Yoga Day, “One Earth, One Health,” underscored the global importance of yoga for health, unity, and peace. Swami Ramdev concluded by stating that yoga and Sanatan Dharma are now global necessities and have the power to lead a distressed world towards health, harmony, and spiritual rejuvenation.
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