Photo Gallery: People celebrate International Yoga Day across nation

Yoga is constant and evolving for centuries. The essence of yoga has been stable and remained the same -- healthy body, stable mind, spirit of oneness. Yoga has provided a perfect blend of knowledge, karma and bhakti," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We should make efforts to take yoga from cities to villages and tribal areas. Yoga is above religion, caste, colour, gender and region, it is above everything," PM Modi told the gathering.

The defence and paramilitary forces also took part in the event with enthusiasm.

The Jharkhand capital of Ranchi was selected this year as the venue for the main event.

PM Modi also urged people to make yoga an integral part of life.

The PM practiced yoga with around 40,000 enthusiasts at the Prabhat Tara ground and said everybody should practice the ancient Indian discipline lifelong.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops on the occasion performed yoga in some of the most difficult terrains in the country. 

Taking to Instagram, the IAF put up a post saying, "Life of an Air-warrior is thrilling, exciting, sometimes tough but always exhilarating. Regular practice of YOGA provides multiple rewards to the practitioner. Air-warriors join #IDY2019 to be a part of fit India."

Airwarriors and their families also performed yoga at the Air force Station in the national capital.

The air warriors of the Indian Air Force (IAF) also enthusiastically participated at the event celebrated in the Headquarters Maintenance Command. 

In the national capital, the celebrations played out at several venues -- from the sprawling Rajpath and the lawns of Red Fort to municipal parks, hospitals, gardens and offices with thousands of enthusiastic Delhiites performing asanas.

Several events to mark the day were also held across the country with many of them being led by Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and Harsh Vardhan.

The Indian Navy personnel also performed yoga on submarine INS Sindhudhvaj.

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi first proposed to mark June 21 as International Yoga Day in his address to the annual General Debate from the famed General Assembly podium.