Sri Lankan ministers, cricketers join yoga enthusiasts for IDY celebrations

Colombo, June 21 (IANS) On the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY), various Sri Lankan Ministers, Parliamentarians, cricket legends, cultural icons, and several locals gathered at the iconic Independence Square in Colombo to practice yoga, highlighting its significance in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The event was organised by the Indian High Commission in Colombo, in collaboration with Sri Lanka's Health Ministry, and witnessed more than 100 yoga instructors from across the island nation, demonstrating yoga to participants, including the country's tri forces, police, students, and yoga enthusiasts.

Several senior ministers of the Lankan government, including Anil Jayantha and Chrishantha Abeysena, Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih and several industry members, joined the event.

Meanwhile, several events were also held at Galle, Kandy and Jaffna, organised by the diplomatic offices in Sri Lanka.

The 2025 theme, 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health,' has emphasised the connection between personal well-being and planetary health, aligning with India's broader vision of global harmony through traditional wisdom.

Earlier on Thursday, the Department of Ayurveda, under the Ministry of Health of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), the cultural arm of the High Commission of India in Colombo, jointly organised IDY celebrations across the island.

In a historic first, this IDY event was simultaneously held in 113 Ayurveda hospitals, including teaching and research institutions across all nine provinces of the South Asian nation, along with four universities.

This collaborative celebration with SVCC marks the first time that the entire network of Ayurveda institutions in Sri Lanka participated in the IDY in a unified manner.

The SVCC extended support by providing yoga mats, instructional books, and curated video content to all participating centres to facilitate the event.

This island-wide event underscored the growing global recognition of yoga as a powerful tool for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, while also strengthening the traditional healthcare ties between Sri Lanka and India.

--IANS

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