At least 135 countries represented at the Yoga session hosted at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the International Day of Yoga (June 21), creating a Guinness World Record for seeing the participation of most nationalities in a Yoga session.
The Yoga celebration was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his inaugural state visit to the United States, following an invitation from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. PM Modi was joined by President of the77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korisi and Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed. The event, commemorating the 9th International Day of Yoga, witnessed the presence of esteemed UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities, including American actor Richard Gere and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
In his address, PM Modi called Yoga to be a way of life. “A holistic approach to health and well-being… a way to mindfulness in thoughts and actions, a way to live in harmony with self, with others, and with nature,” he added.
Michael Empric, Guinness World Records official adjudicator, presented the certificate to Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to the United Nations. Denise Scotto, the moderator of Yoga Day at the UN HQ in New York, said she was honoured to be able to introduce Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
