Thousands of yoga enthusiasts gathered at Pokhara Stadium on Sunday to mark the International Day of Yoga, observed this year under the theme ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’. The event, organised by the Indian Embassy in Nepal, saw participation from senior political leaders, yoga practitioners and members of the public.
Addressing the gathering, Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey said yoga had deep roots in Nepal’s Himalayan and Vedic traditions and played an important role in strengthening people-to-people ties between India and Nepal.
“Programs like these have further strengthened relations between Nepal and India, particularly at the people-to-people level,” he said, while thanking the Indian Embassy for promoting yoga in the country.
The International Day of Yoga was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014 following a proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nepal was among the early supporters of the initiative, which received backing from 177 countries in a record 90 days. The first International Day of Yoga was observed on June 21, 2015.
Yoga has long been part of Nepal’s cultural heritage. The country has observed its own National Yoga Day on Magh 1 since 2015, although yoga-related activities and campaigns had been taking place for decades before that. Yoga and naturopathy are currently taught at Nepal Sanskrit University, while Tribhuvan University also offers yoga studies through its Central Department of Sanskrit.
President Ram Chandra Paudel urged citizens to make yoga an integral part of their daily lives, saying it contributes to physical health, mental well-being and spiritual growth. In his message on the occasion, he highlighted Nepal’s rich yoga tradition and called for greater integration of yoga into national policies, education and public health programmes.
Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav echoed similar views, saying regular yoga practice promotes positive thinking, inner peace and overall well-being.
The celebrations reflected yoga’s growing popularity in Nepal, where it is increasingly viewed as a tool for healthy living and stress management in modern society.
ANI
