Western Naval Command celebrates International Yoga Day onboard INS Viraat

The WNC of the Indian Navy has been organising additional Yoga Camps onboard its naval units and in residential areas over the past one week.

New Delhi: In line with its past tradition, the Western Naval Command is celebrating the International Yoga Day 2019 onboard Viraat, the decommissioned aircraft carrier that was once the flagship of the Indian Navy.

Navy personnel also performed Yoga onboard submarine INS Sindhudhvaj to mark the occasion.

Traditionally, Western Naval Command (WNC) has always encouraged its Officers and men to pursue and excel in sports, adventure and physical fitness.

The WNC has adopted the philosophy of Yoga - From Fitness to Wellness - to achieve synergy of mind, body, emotions and energy towards a healthy and happy living.

In the run-up to the International Yoga Day, the WNC of the Indian Navy has been organising additional Yoga Camps onboard its naval units and in residential areas over the past week.

The Yoga camps are conducted with the aim of promoting Yoga as a way of life.

Navy personnel onboard ships and submarines at sea have also been practising Yoga as part of the celebration.

In addition, Yoga has also been made an integral part of morning fitness routines being carried by all units of ENC and not limited to the IDY alone.

In order to introduce the benefits of this ancient art to young children, Yoga is being conducted regularly and has also included in their curriculum in schools under the Eastern Naval Command.

The fifth International Day of Yoga (IDA) is being celebrated across the world with great enthusiasm. The United Nations headquarters was lit up with postures of 'Surya Namaskar' and the message of 'Yoga for Climate Action' as India's Permanent Mission to the UN kick-started its celebrations for the 5th International Day of Yoga.

In India, PM Narendra Modi is leading the international Yoga Day celebrations in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Besides PM, top government functionaries, including Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leaders will attend International Yoga Day events across the country on Friday.

While the PM is participating in a mega yoga event in Ranchi, Shah is in Rohtak and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) working president JP Nadda will perform yoga, along with other party leaders and workers, at a park opposite the headquarters of the saffron party on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Marg here.

Union Ministers, various government offices and institutions are organising events to celebrate the IDY today.

The International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on June 21 to raise global awareness about the benefits of the ancient Indian practice.

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga', months after Prime Minister Modi proposed the idea.