Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a camp of over 35,000 people for the second International Yoga Day celebrations in Chandigarh Tuesday June 21,2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday June 21,2016 led a camp of over 35,000 people for the second International Yoga Day celebrations. Asking people to embrace yoga, he said it is not a religious activity and people should perform it for better mental and physical health.

 

"Yoga is not about the other life. Therefore, it is not a religious practice. It is the science of this world, it is about what we will get in this life," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Modi announced two annual awards to be given from 2017 for doing exceptional work for promotion of yoga at the international and national levels.

Dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, Modi himself performed yoga 'asanas' along with the people at the event.

Defence forces personnel and school children, people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga 'asanas' on pink and blue coloured mats during the event.

“Many people do not understand yoga completely. It is not what you will get from yoga but what is important is what you will give to yoga and what all (ailments) will it rid you of. It helps is getting mukti (salvation) from health issues,” Modi said, in an attempt to de-link the belief among some that yoga was a part of Hinduism," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.