Throughout history, certain ideas have travelled beyond boundaries and transformed societies. And Yoga is one of the India’s oldest traditions, whose journey has moved from ancient scriptures to global recognition. The word Yoga – derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’ – encapsulates a comprehensive system of philosophical inquiry and practical discipline aimed at the union of the individual self (jīvātman) with the Universal Consciousness (Paramātman).
The earliest seeds of Yoga are found in the �ig Veda (c. 1500-1200 BCE), where the concept of tapas (austerity) and dhyāna (meditation) are referenced. These ideas were further developed in the Upani�ads, which articulated many of the philosophical foundations of Yoga. It was, however, the Yoga Sūtras of Mahari�hi Patañjali (c. 200 BCE400 CE) that gave Yoga its most systematic framework – the classical a��ā�ga yoga or eight-limbed path – comprising Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prā�āyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāra�ā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi. Beyond Patañjali, the Bhagavad Gītā presents Yoga as a dynamic philosophy for living.
Set against the backdrop of the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna offers profound insights into human duty, purpose, and spiritual growth. Among the various paths described in the Bhagavad Gītā, Karma Yoga (path of selfless action), Jñāna Yoga (path of knowledge), and Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion) are the three great roads to liberation. India, therefore, is not merely the birthplace of yoga – it is the living civilisation from which yoga grew organically, over millennia, as part of its spiritual, cultural, and philosophical fabric.
However, during the period of colonial influence, sections of educated Indian society increasingly came under the influence of Western intellectual frameworks, and traditional systems of knowledge, including Yoga, were often viewed as less relevant in the changing world. At this important time, Swami Vivekananda emerged as a powerful voice who helped people rediscover the value of yoga. Through his teachings and his historic speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions, he brought global attention to India’s spiritual heritage and inspired a new confidence in the timeless wisdom of yoga.
He shared the ideas of Vedanta and yoga with people from different parts of the world and showed that yoga was not only a religious practice but also a path for personal growth, inner peace, and self-development. The respect and appreciation he received abroad helped Indians regain confidence and pride in their own ancient traditions and culture. His lectures in Chicago – and subsequently across the United States and Europe – introduced the West to the concept of Rāja Yoga (the royal yoga of mind-control), Jñāna Yoga (the yoga of intellectual discrimination), Karma Yoga (yoga of selfless service), and Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion).
His book Rāja Yoga (1896), based on Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, became one of the earliest and most influential introductions of yogic philosophy to Western audiences. In his lectures on Rāja Yoga, Vivekananda presented Yoga as a systematic and experiential discipline for exploring the inner dimensions of human consciousness. For Vivekananda, India’s greatest contribution to humanity lay in its spiritual wisdom, with Yoga representing one of its most profound and enduring expressions. His ideas attracted the attention of prominent intellectuals and thinkers of the period, contributing to a broader Western engagement with Indian philosophy.
What is perhaps less celebrated – but equally significant – is the manner in which Vivekananda’s work in the West catalysed a renaissance of yoga within India itself. When he returned to India in 1897, he did not come back empty-handed. He brought with him a renewed self-confidence – a reconstituted sense of pride in India’s spiritual inheritance that had been galvanised by his reception in the West. Vivekananda delivered lectures across the country, inspiring people to rediscover Indian spiritual traditions. On 1 May 1897, Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in Belur Math, Howrah – situated on the western bank of the Hooghly river, just a short distance from where Rāmak�i�h�a had passed his final years at Dakshineswar.
This institution became the global headquarters of a movement that propagated the ideals of Vedānta, service as worship (Śiva jñāne jīva sevā), and the practical application of yoga philosophy. Despite being the land of spiritual pioneers like Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda, the public visibility of yoga in Bengal gradually reduced with changing times. Yoga gradually moved away from the centre of public life due to changing lifestyles, modern priorities, and social shifts. Yet, its roots remained alive through spiritual institutions and dedicated practitioners.
On 11 September 1893, beginning with the immortal greeting, “Sisters and Brothers of America,” Swami Vivekananda introduced the world to India’s spiritual wisdom through his historic speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions. Now “Sisters and Brothers of West Bengal, in your own home, witness the homecoming of yoga – from Chicago’s global stage to the banks of the Hooghly.” These words carry a deep emotional connection, reminding us of the historic moment when Vivekananda introduced India’s spiritual wisdom to the world. His message travelled from India to the world, spreading the values of yoga, harmony, and inner peace.
What returns to the banks of the Hooghly today is not Yoga itself – which never ceased to exist in India – but the renewed global recognition and appreciation of Yoga that began with India’s ancient sages and found a new expression through Vivekananda’s message to the world. It has returned – reinvigorated, re-recognised, and re-established – to the Hooghly riverbank in Bengal, where Belur Math stands to this day as a living monument to that journey. Today, as yoga is practised globally, and as the world recognises yoga as an Intangible Cultural Heritage – it is essential to remember that yoga’s global journey has its axis in Swami Vivekananda’s historic mission.
Today, with the celebration of International Day of Yoga in Kolkata, it feels like a beautiful homecoming of yoga to the land from where its message began its journey to the global stage. The banks of the Hooghly once again witness people coming together to celebrate a tradition that crossed oceans and returned with greater recognition and respect. This journey from “Chicago to Hooghly” is not merely the journey of a practice; it is the journey of an Idea – and indeed an emotion – that continues to connect humanity through balance, compassion, and self-awareness and the pursuit of inner harmony.
The writer is Union Minister of State (IC) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.