Live: Yoga Day is a result of the largest people's movement ever, says PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi performed yoga along with around 37,000 participants at Rajpath, Delhi.[/caption]Minutes before the mega event commenced at Rajpath, the Prime Minister tweeted, "Greetings to people around the world on first International Day of Yoga! "Lets pledge to make yoga an integral part of our daily lives," he said.In another tweet, he said in some parts of the world, the first rays of the sun have already been welcomed by people practising yoga. This will continue across the world."I will join the yoga day programme at Rajpath in a short while," Modi said.The Prime Minister, who practised 'asanas' along with nearly 35,000 participants during a mega event at Rajpath in New Delhi, also thanked the United Nations and the countries which backed the resolution by India to mark 21 June as International Yoga Day.The Prime Minister, who was expected to only address the gathering, surprised everyone by participating in the yoga exercises along with thousands of people, including children.Yoga guru Ramdev shared the dais with Modi along with heads of some other religious and yoga institutions. Modi later joined the participants on the ground as he practised the 'asanas' during the 30-minute programme.Kicking off the event, the Prime Minister said the programme is aimed at benefiting the people by making them both physically and mentally healthy.It seeks to make a tension-free world and spread the message of 'Sadbhavana' (harmony), the Prime Minister said, adding that yoga is "more than only physical fitness"."For most of the people, yoga is just a physical exercise. This is the biggest mistake.... Had this been the case, children working in circuses could have been called 'yogis'. Hence yoga is not only about making the body flexible," he said, while addressing the participants.The Prime Minister expressed hope that the atmosphere built in favour of yoga in the country will continue in future as well.He also said that it is not important for him where this ancient technique originated and where all it has reached."We are not only celebrating a day but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace - Sadbhavana...This is a programme for the benefit of mankind, a tension-free world and a programme to spread the message of Sadbhavana," Modi said.Modi, while addressing the crowd at Rajpath, said, "Did anyone ever imagine that Rajpath can be a 'Yoga-path'?"The Prime Minister also said that this was the beginning of a new era. "I bow down to the sages who encouraged Yoga through centuries," he said. "Everything is moving forward. We don't want a situation where humans are lagging behind."He also said that yoga was much more than just physical exercise. "Just making a body flexible, turning body into shapes is not Yoga. Otherwise, everyone in a circus would be a yogi...Mann (heart), buddhi (mind), shareer (body) and aatma (spirit) have to be in sync," he said.Diplomats from 152 foreign missions were invited to take part in the event which started at 7 am.Apart from PM Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh was also seen practising yoga with the participants.President Pranab Mukherjee also addressed the people practising yoga and said, "I wish that everyone finds peace and happiness through yoga."Even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took part in the practising yoga. He also said that yoga is not something to be politicised. "Yoga is very essential, but it isn't something to do politics over," he said.Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, who has been involved in a political row with Kejriwal, was also seen doing yoga along with the others.However, alleging that yoga was being privatised by BJP, the East Singhbhum District Congress Committee has decided to organise a 'Walk for Nation and Society' in Jamshedpur on Sunday to coincide with International Yoga Day.Congress members and supporters will assemble at Jubilee Park gate on Sunday morning and take part in the walk, said district Congress (DCC) president Vijay Khan.(With inputs from PTI)