**Executive Summary**
Kolkata will host the national celebrations for the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21, 2026, at Red Road, featuring a Common Yoga Protocol led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This year's theme is “Yoga for Healthy Ageing,” emphasizing physical vitality and mental resilience across nearly 2,500 global locations. Key action items include citizen registration on the Yoga Sangam portal and participation in a series of lead-up events beginning June 19.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**National and Global Scale**
* **National Event:** The main celebration will take place at Red Road, Kolkata, starting at 5 AM on June 21, 2026.
* **Global Reach:** Yoga Day will be observed at approximately 2,500 locations worldwide through more than 210 Indian Missions and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
* **Iconic Locations:** The Ministry of Culture is organizing celebrations at 100 iconic heritage locations across India.
**Specific Initiatives and Themes**
* **2026 Theme:** The focus is “Yoga for Healthy Ageing,” highlighting yoga's role in mental and emotional balance.
* **Yoga 365:** A flagship initiative aimed at making yoga a daily lifelong practice.
* **Gangotri to Gangasagar:** A "Ganga Bank Yoga Journey" connecting multiple cities to promote environmental awareness and yoga.
* **Commemorative Releases:** Twelve special philatelic covers were released during the curtain-raiser press conference to mark the occasion.
**Kolkata and West Bengal Events**
* **Daud Se Dhyan:** A special initiative to be held across eleven locations in Kolkata on June 19.
* **Hooghly Riverfront Activities:** Celebrations on June 20 including Vande Yogam, cultural performances, and West Bengal Foundation Day events.
* **Unique Demonstrations:** Mass yoga sessions on 500 boats on the Hooghly River, a mega drone show featuring 3,000 drones, and yoga-themed illuminations on city bridges.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: General Public (Youth and Senior Citizens)**
**Impact**
Citizens are encouraged to adopt yoga for long-term health benefits, particularly focusing on healthy ageing and mental well-being.
**Action Required**
Register yoga events on the Yoga Sangam portal and participate in the national or virtual celebrations on June 21 at 5 AM.
**Stakeholder: Government of West Bengal and Local Authorities**
**Impact**
Kolkata serves as the primary host, requiring coordination for large-scale public outreach, security, and logistics for riverfront and city-wide events.
**Action Required**
Organize and manage the "Daud Se Dhyan" initiative on June 19 and facilitate the infrastructure for the drone show, boat demonstrations, and the Red Road main event.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Culture**
**Impact**
These ministries are responsible for the national rollout of yoga initiatives and linking the practice with India's cultural heritage and tourism.
**Action Required**
Oversee the "Yoga 365" and "Yoga Park" initiatives and coordinate the celebrations across the 100 identified iconic locations in India.
**Stakeholder: Indian Missions Abroad**
**Impact**
Missions act as the international facilitators for the global movement of IDY 2026.
**Action Required**
Coordinate Yoga Day celebrations across nearly 2,500 global locations to reflect yoga’s role in collective well-being.
Key Entities Referenced
International Day of Yoga 2026: The 12th annual global celebration focused on the theme 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing,' featuring national-level demonstrations led by the Prime Minister.
Ministry of Ayush: The nodal government body responsible for organizing the national celebrations and implementing various yoga outreach initiatives.
Common Yoga Protocol: The standardized set of yoga practices and guidelines followed during the national celebrations to ensure uniformity in mass participation.
Yoga 365: A flagship initiative of the Ministry of Ayush aimed at transforming yoga into a year-round daily habit for the public.
Kolkata, West Bengal: The primary location selected to host the 2026 national celebrations, with the main event situated at Red Road.
AYUSH
Kolkata Gears Up for Historic International Day
of Yoga 2026 Celebration at Red Road
Proud moment for West Bengal to host IDY 2026 national
celebrations: Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari
Yoga Day 2026 to be celebrated across nearly 2,500 locations
worldwide: Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav
Yoga 365 aims to make Yoga an integral part of daily life:
Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav
Twelve Special Philatelic Covers Released to Commemorate
International Day of Yoga 2026
100 Iconic Locations Across India to Celebrate Yoga and
Cultural Heritage on 21st June
“Daud Se Dhyan” Initiative to be Organised Across Eleven
Locations in Kolkata on June 19
प्रव तथ: 18 JUN 2026 6:56PM by PIB Delhi
Kolkata is set to host the national celebrations of the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21 at
the iconic Red Road, where Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will lead the nation in the Common Yoga
Protocol. Ahead of the IDY celebrations, Chief Minister of West Bengal Shri Suvendu Adhikari and Union
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri
Prataprao Jadhav addressed a curtain raiser press conference at Nabanna Sabhaghar today, highlighting the
significance, scale and preparations for this year’s International Day of Yoga.
During the press conference, twelve special philatelic covers commemorating International Day of Yoga
2026, were released by Chief Minister of West Bengal Shri Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Ayush Shri Prataprao Jadhav, in the presence of Chief Postmaster General, West
Bengal Circle, Shri Ashok Kumar.
Addressing the press, Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari said that it is a matter of immense pride for
West Bengal to host the national celebrations of the International Day of Yoga 2026 in Kolkata. He
described Kolkata as a city known for its rich cultural, spiritual and intellectual heritage, which continues
to uphold the values of wellness and collective well-being.Highlighting Yoga as one of India’s most valuable civilisational gifts to the world, the Chief Minister said
that the ancient practice transcends all barriers and brings people together in the pursuit of health,
harmony and inner peace. Referring to this year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, he emphasised that
Yoga plays a crucial role in promoting physical vitality, mental resilience and emotional balance, enabling
people to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.
The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Ayush in taking Yoga to every corner of the
country and transforming it into a year-round people’s movement through various initiatives such as Yoga
365, Yoga for Healthy Ageing, Yoga for Non-Communicable Diseases, Yoga Park Initiative and 100 Days
of Free Online Yoga, thereby strengthening India’s global leadership in holistic health and wellness.
Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav emphasised that International Day of Yoga 2026 is not merely an
event but a national celebration of India’s timeless wisdom, which has evolved into a global movement for
health, harmony and collective well-being. Highlighting the growing global participation, he mentioned
that through the coordinated efforts of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Indian
Missions abroad, Yoga Day celebrations this year are being organised across nearly 2,500 locations
worldwide, with participation from more than 210 Indian Missions, reflecting Yoga’s role as a global
movement for collective well-being.
Shri Prataprao Jadhav highlighted the success of the Ministry’s flagship Yoga 365 initiative, aimed at
making Yoga an integral part of daily life. He also mentioned the successful completion of 100 Days of
Free Online Yoga and said that the nationwide live yoga session organised on June 14 witnessed
participation of more than four lakh people simultaneously, creating a new Guinness World Record.
Shri Jadhav further informed that the Ministry of Culture is organising special Yoga celebrations at 100
iconic locations across India, linking Yoga with the country’s cultural heritage, tourism and civilisational
identity. He also expressed gratitude to the Government of West Bengal for its support in organising the
national event and stated that the enthusiastic response from Kolkata and across Bengal reflects people’s
growing connection with Yoga.
The press conference also highlighted various public outreach initiatives organised across the country as
part of the countdown to International Day of Yoga 2026, including the 100-day programme in New Delhi,
75-day event at Lonar in Maharashtra, 50-day celebration at Kanha Shanti Vanam in Hyderabad and 25-
day countdown at Khajuraho. Another major highlight is the “Gangotri to Gangasagar – Ganga Bank Yoga
Journey”, connecting Gangotri, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna, Hooghly and
Gangasagar, bringing together Yoga, environmental awareness, river culture and people’s participation.
The press conference was also graced by Shri Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay, State Health Minister, West
Bengal; Dr. Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal, and Vaidya Rajesh
Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush.
A series of events have also been planned across Kolkata and West Bengal in the run-up to June 21,
including Cycling for Wellness, Yoga in Schools and Government Offices, Yoga for Mental Well-being,
Women’s Health Yoga, Yoga for Senior Citizens, Corporate Yoga and Yoga programmes for Police, Fire
Services and healthcare institutions. A special initiative, “Daud Se Dhyan”, will be organised on June 19
across eleven locations in Kolkata, followed by Vande Yogam and West Bengal Foundation Day
celebrations on June 20 along the Hooghly riverfront featuring cultural performances, art competitions,
photography contests and public engagement activities.
The celebrations will also feature mass Yoga demonstrations on 500 boats across the Hooghly River,
highlighting Yoga and Bengal’s rich river heritage. Kolkata will witness Yoga-themed illuminations,
special bridge lighting and a mega drone show with nearly 3,000 drones showcasing India’s Yoga journey
and paying tribute to great Yoga masters.The Chief Minister and the Ayush Minister urged citizens, especially youth and senior citizens, to make
Yoga a part of daily life and embrace it as a lifelong practice for physical health, mental peace and overall
well-being. Citizens were also encouraged to participate actively in the celebrations and register their
Yoga events on the Yoga Sangam portal.
The national celebration at Red Road will begin at 5 AM on June 21, with thousands of participants
joining physically and millions expected to participate virtually from across India and the world,
reaffirming Yoga’s role as a global movement for health, harmony and collective well-being.***
SR/SV/SG
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