Uttarakhand summer capital hosts first Yoga Day event; CM unveils state’s maiden yoga policy

For the first time ever, diplomats from eight countries attended an event to mark the International Day of Yoga in Uttarakhand’s summer capital Gairsain on Saturday. To mark the day, the state government launched its first yoga policy, promising Spiritual Economic Zones and five international yoga destinations by 2030.

As most of the state machinery was shifted to the legislative assembly building at Gairsain to perform yoga on the occasion of the 11th International Day of Yoga, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced to develop two world-class Spiritual Economic Zones—one each in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions. Dhami said these zones would be developed as international hubs for ayurveda, yoga, and spiritual tourism. In other words, the Dhami government plans to develop these centres as major global holistic wellness institutions.

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“These zones will also accelerate employment generation in the state and help stop migration from the hills. These centres will come up in the form of modern townships and function as the global hub for wellness and yoga. Yoga instructors, ayurvedic institutes, and spiritual leaders from across the world will be invited to participate in the Spiritual Economic Zones,” Dhami said.

The Chief Minister launched the state’s first yoga policy on the occasion and promised subsidy support to develop yoga, wellness, and research centres across the state. The yoga policy includes the creation of five new yoga hubs, apart from one in Rishikesh, in the state by 2030. The new yoga policy envisages subsidy support up to ₹20 lakh for setting up yoga and meditation centres in the state. Yoga research and naturopathy centres will be granted a subsidy of up to ₹10 lakh. The policy envisions making yoga services compulsory by March 2026 at all AYUSH health and wellness centres across the state.

The International Day of Yoga was marked by a daylong shift for most of the state machinery to the summer capital at the state legislature building in Gairsain. Besides relocation of the state administration, the occasion saw the presence of diplomats and representatives from eight countries.

Diplomats from Mexico, Nepal, Fiji, Mongolia, Suriname, Latvia, Sri Lanka, and Russia performed yoga alongside the Chief Minister. All foreign delegates arrived in Gairsain a day before the event, enjoying the cool weather and natural surroundings at an altitude of 5,000 feet in the Himalayas.