Ahead of International Yoga Day, the High Commission of India in the United Kingdom organised a yoga event at Trafalgar Square which witnessed the significant participation of more than 700 enthusiastic people.
Since 2015, the International Day of Yoga is celebrated across the world annually on June 21, following its adoption by the United Nations in 2014.
While speaking to ANI, the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said, “It was a great pleasure to be able to have well over 700 people here in this central spot in London. With the iconic statues all around it. And of course, to have multiple yoga schools come here and lead us in the practice of yoga.”
Further, he also emphasized that in London, diverse communities participated, “exemplifying the point that our Prime Minister has said, that yoga unites everybody and that yoga is for everybody.”
In response to a question, about what’s different this year, the Indian envoy Doraiswami highlighted that this year, there were more participants, additional yoga schools involved, and a greater diversity of communities present.
However, the main focus remains on continuing yoga’s role in healing and personal growth, rather than aiming for differences in participation.
“Different in the sense that we had even more people up here, we’ve had more yoga schools join us and we’ve had in a sense a bigger diversity of communities here,” Doraiswami said on Saturday.
“But the idea wasn’t to be different, the idea was to be, to take through the continuity of yoga as a means of healing and as a means of growing,” he added.
Further, a UK citizen Inderpal Ohri Chandel also spoke with ANI and highlighted that the theme for this year is ‘women’s empowerment’ adding that she also emphasized the significance of yoga for Indians and Asians, considering it a vital part of their heritage that fosters cultural connection and importance.
“The whole purpose of this is women’s empowerment, that’s the theme for this year. And of course, yoga is extremely important for us as Indians, as Asians. It is a part of our heritage and it is very important for us to stay connected with it,” she said.
“The big thing is that today the members of the Indian Cricket Deaf Team have also come here because their matches will be with Great Britain,” she added.
During the event the co-founder of Indian Diaspora in the UK, Hitesh Gupta also spoke with ANI and said, “You can see lots and lots of people are here from our group. Around 100 plus people have joined in today to celebrate the yoga.”
