Curated By: Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Last Updated: June 21, 2023, 7:27 PM IST
New York, United States of America (USA)
Guinness World Records recognized PM Modi’s International Yoga Day event in New York, which gathered participants from 135 nationalities, setting a new record. (Image: ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led the historic Yoga Day event in New York, also set a Guinness World Record for the most nationalities participating in a yoga session.
The Guinness World Record for most nationalities in a Yoga session was created during the International Yoga Day event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York on Wednesday.
Guinness World Record official, Michael Empric, was present at the UN Headquarters lawn on Wednesday morning (local time) to present the award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United Nations General Assembly president Csaba Kőrösi and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj.
“Today there was a Guinness World Records title attempt for most nationalities in a Yoga lesson. The mark to be was 140 nationalities. Today in New York, at the UN, they have 135. It is a new Guinness world records title,” Michael Empric, Guinness World Records official adjudicator said.
Envoys from over 100 nations, people from all walks of life in the US, prominent New Yorkers, Hollywood celebrities and members of the Indian Diaspora attended the event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am delighted to see you all and thank you all for coming. I am told that almost every nationality is represented here today and what an amazing cause to bring us together. Yoga means to unite. The coming together in itself is another form of Yoga,” PM Modi said.
“Like all Indian traditions, yoga is dynamic. It is free from royalty, copyright and patents,” PM Modi said. “You can do it at home, at work or at transit. It is flexible, you can learn from a teacher or be self-taught,” PM Modi further added.
“Use Yoga to fight against wars, gender violence, food insecurity and the destruction of our planet,” New York mayor Eric Adams, who also attended the event, said.
United Nations General Assembly president Csaba Kőrösi said Yoga is a way of uniting the mind and body and can enhance one’s intellectual performance.
“Yoga is a way of uniting the mind and body. We are part of nature despite considering ourselves detached from other creatures. Yoga can enhance physical, mental and intellectual performance. My daughter has already reached a high-level of practice and I am proud of her,” Kőrösi told the attendees.
Meanwhile, India set another Guinness Record on the International Yoga Day event for the largest gathering for a yoga session at one place with 1.53 lakh people joining the program in Gujarat’s Surat on Wednesday. The previous world record was set in 2018 in Kota city of Rajasthan when 1,00,984 people participated in a Yoga Day session in one place.
