International Yoga Day is being observed on 21 June for the second year running, and none other than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led from the front in celebrating the day. The United Nations had declared this day after Modi suggested it to the 69th UN General Assembly in September 2014. He had pitched for 21 June to be reserved for the celebrations as it is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The day has since become a mass people's movement.
Modi performed yoga along with over 30,000 people in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. To commemorate the day, he released postage stamps in yogic postures called Surya Namaskar. He also announced the introduction of two awards to be rolled out from 2017, for the best contribution to Yoga internationally, and within India. To mark International Yoga Day 2016, IBTimes UK has compiled the best images of people practising yoga around the world.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre wearing white) is joined by thousands of participants in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, to perform yoga to celebrate World Yoga Day on 21 June 2016REUTERS/Ajay Verma
Participants in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad perform yoga on International Yoga DayREUTERS/Amit Dave
A student from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir performs yoga to mark the occasionREUTERS/Danish Ismail
Participants perform yoga during the second World Yoga Day on 21 June 2016 in capital New DelhiREUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Participants perform yoga during World Yoga Day in Connaught Place in New DelhiREUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Narendra Modi (centre in white) performs yoga during World Yoga Day celebrations in ChandigarhREUTERS/Ajay Verma
Participants perform yoga in New DelhiREUTERS/Adnan Abidi
A Muslim student performs yoga in Srinagar, Jammu and KashmirREUTERS/Danish Ismail
Modi along with other participants in ChandigarhREUTERS/Ajay Verma
Hundreds participate in a mass yoga event in front of the Sydney Opera House on World Yoga Day in AustraliaREUTERS/Jason Reed
Hundreds of people participated in a mass yoga event in front of the Sydney Opera House on World Yoga DayREUTERS/Jason Reed
Another participant performs yoga on a mat in New DelhiREUTERS/Adnan Abidi
People perform yoga at a glass sightseeing platform ahead of the International Day of Yoga, on the outskirts of Beijing, ChinaREUTERS/Stringer
20 June 2016: People practise yoga at a tourist spot ahead of the International Day of Yoga, on the outskirts of Beijing, ChinaChina Daily/via REUTERS
Yoga practitioners mark World Yoga Day for the first time on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunriseSydney BridgeClimb/Handout via REUTERS
Participants perform yoga during World Yoga Day in Kathmandu, NepalREUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
A participant performs yoga during World Yoga Day in Kathmandu, NepalREUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
Hundreds participate in a mass yoga event in front of the Sydney Opera House on World Yoga Day in Sydney, AustraliaREUTERS/Jason Reed
People practise yoga together ahead of World Yoga Day in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, ChinaREUTERS/Stringer
20 June 2016: People take shelter under a mat as it rains at one of the venues of yoga camp on the eve of World Yoga Day in ChandigarhREUTERS/Ajay Verma
20 June 2016: People practise yoga together ahead of World Yoga Day in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, ChinaREUTERS/Stringer
19 June 2016: People perform yoga ahead of the 2nd International Yoga Day in Minsk, BelarusREUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
19 June 2016: Participants from Minsk, Belarus do a yoga posture during an event to celebrate International Yoga DayREUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
19 June 2016: People do yoga during a public event in Minsk, Belarus to commemorate International Yoga DayREUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
20 June 2016: A health worker fumigates one of the venues of yoga camp on the eve of World Yoga Day in Chandigarh, IndiaREUTERS/Ajay Verma
16 June 2016: Students practise yoga during a training session ahead of World Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, IndiaREUTERS/Amit Dave
19 June 2016: Students perform yoga during full dress rehearsal ahead of World Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, IndiaREUTERS/Amit Dave
19 June 2016: People practise yoga during an open air yoga event organised by the city government at Reforma Avenue in Mexico City ahead of International Yoga DayREUTERS/Henry Romero
16 June 2016: Students practise yoga during a training session ahead of World Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, IndiaREUTERS/Amit Dave
15 June 2016: A man works at one of the venues of a yoga camp ahead of World Yoga Day in Ahmedabad, IndiaREUTERS/Amit Dave
