Over one lakh yoga practitioners gathered at the historic Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra on Saturday to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga. The mega event was jointly organised by Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth, the Haryana Yoga Commission, and the AYUSH Department.
The event, led by Yoga Guru Ramdev and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, featured a grand yoga session and a collective pledge for a yoga-enriched, addiction-free, and disease-free India rooted in Swadeshi values and Sanatan culture.
Simultaneously, under the Common Yoga Protocol, free yoga training was provided in all 650 districts of the country through the Patanjali Yoga Samiti.
Over 1 lakh practitioners performed yoga together on the sacred land of Kurukshetra, setting a new record. During the event, Baba Ramdev administered a pledge promoting Yoga and Swadeshi to the assembled crowd. The theme of this year’s International Yoga Day was “One Earth, One Health.”
On the occasion, Ramdev said that more than 2 billion people around the world now practice Yoga. “Yoga has become the Dharma of this era,” he stated.
“Yoga is the essence of Sanatan. It is an unparalleled discipline embedded in our values, culture, and nature. For ages, Yoga has unfolded within us—it is the truth of life and the foundation of intellect, action, and prosperity,” Ramdev added.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting yoga on a global stage and urged village heads across the country to become Yogapanch and Yogapradhan. “PM Modi has written letters to every village head to promote Yoga. From the President to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Defence Minister—all are Yogis,” he said.
Ramdev claimed that India spends ₹10 lakh crore annually on medicines, but regular yoga practice could potentially reduce this figure to zero. “If every citizen practices Yoga, the country can save ₹10 lakh crore,” he stated, adding that the world is increasingly adopting a Yoga-based lifestyle.
He emphasized the importance of Yoga’s traditional forms—Ashtanga, Dhyana, Jnana, Bhakti, Kriya, and Hatha Yoga—and described Yoga-based Sanatan Dharma as an eternal, scientific, and universal spiritual system.
Using the occasion to promote Swadeshi, Ramdev urged people to replace foreign-made goods with Indian alternatives. Citing reports by Oxfam and other sources, he stated that foreign companies looted over $100 trillion from India between 1765 and 1900.
“Our Yoga warrior Prime Minister Modi Ji has called upon citizens to use Swadeshi products. From morning to evening, one must identify and boycott foreign goods, adopting Swadeshi alternatives to serve Mother India,” he asserted.
Ramdev said that under the mission “Prosperity for Charity,” Patanjali dedicates 100% of its profits to the service of the nation.
He also emphasized the need to overhaul India’s colonial-era education system. Institutions like Patanjali Gurukulam, Acharyakulam, and Patanjali University, in association with the Bharatiya Shiksha Board (BSB), aim to shape future generations with strong character and leadership. He called on parents to enroll their children in these institutions to build a new India.
On International Yoga Day, thousands of Patanjali Yogpeeth workers offered yoga services across the country. Through Patanjali Yoga Samiti, more than 1 lakh free yoga classes are currently operational.
Baba Ramdev emphasized that the pledge of “One Earth, One Health” can only be fulfilled through Yoga, which offers holistic health and peace to humanity.
“Yoga-dharma has now become the Dharma of the age,” he said. “The world, plagued by stress, illness, and cultural decline, is being uplifted through Yoga and Sanatan values. Let us adopt the Sanatan lifestyle rooted in Yogadharma.”
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini affirmed that both the state and central governments are committed to bringing Yoga into every household. “Our goal is a drug-free and stress-free Haryana,” he said.
Acharya Balkrishna, who also attended, highlighted the scientific validation of Yoga’s benefits. “Even practicing Yoga for half an hour daily can make life healthy and blissful. Studies and research papers in top global journals have demonstrated Yoga’s efficacy in boosting immunity, longevity, and reversing diseases,” he stated.
The event was graced by several dignitaries, including Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister Aarti Rao, BJP MP Naveen Jindal, AYUSH Director General Sanjeev Verma, Sadhvi Devapriya, Bhai Rakesh, Yoga Commission Chairman Bhai Jaydeep, and others from the Patanjali and Haryana State committees.
In the lead-up to the event, outreach programs were conducted in over 400 villages to ensure participation from every district of Haryana. While over 1 lakh people joined in person at Brahma Sarovar, more than 11 lakh participated virtually at the district and tehsil levels across the state.