Yoga wave sweeps Washington, record 2,500 register for event

Come June 16 and the iconic Washington Monument will witness more than 2,500 people will gather in the US capital to meditate and celebrate the fifth International Day of Yoga by flexing their body in multiple complex postures. Following a proposal moved by India on December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. The event will, however, be held on June 16 in Washington. The event is being organised by the Indian Embassy in association with more than 20 organisations.

This will be the third time that the Washington Monument, that faces the National Mall overlooking the US Congress, would host the International Yoga Day celebrations. This would be possibly the largest gathering of a free yoga event in Washington. So far, more than 2,500 people have registered for the event.

 “We are seeing a robust response to our call for participation at the fifth International Day of Yoga at the iconic Washington Monument on Sunday, June 16. The event has already received over 2,500 registrations,” the Indian Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, told PTI.

The embassy has also scheduled a vegetarian food festival immediately after the yoga event as part the 150^th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.

“Over the last few years, the popularity of yoga has increased manifold in the US. I am told there are now about 36 million yoga practitioners in the country. And this is good news!” Shringla said.

To quote Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Yoga has evolved as a way to achieve a healthy living and combines physical, mental and spiritual pursuits to achieve harmony of the body and mind. Its appeal today has truly transcended cultural and linguistic boundaries and it has become a global phenomenon,” he said.