"Yoga is India's gift to the world": President Droupadi Murmu

On the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that yoga is India's gift to the world. She also performed yoga at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here.

"Yoga is one of our civilization's great accomplishments and India's great gift to the rest of the world. Yoga brings together the body and the mind and it is a holistic approach to life. Yoga helps us all to be in a better position to meet the increasing challenges around us," President Murmu said.

Urging everyone to perform yoga, she said, "On this day, I urge everyone to adopt yoga in their daily lives and experience its transformative power."

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the countrymen on the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day, and said that the coming together of more than 180 countries on India's call is 'historic'.

The Prime Minister is presently on his maiden state visit to the United States, during which he will lead celebrations of International Yoga Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York today.

"At around 5:30 pm IST, I will participate in the Yoga program which is being organised at the headquarters of the United Nations. The coming together of more than 180 countries on India's call is historic. When the proposal for Yoga Day came to the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, it was supported by a record number of countries," PM Modi said in a video message on Wednesday morning. (ANI)