The Department of AYUSH, Government of Sikkim, marked the 12th International Day of Yoga on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Swarna Jayanti Maitreya Manjari in Gangtok, drawing yoga practitioners, students, officials and members of the public to observe this year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Aging.” The event featured a formal programme followed by a mass yoga session and included the launch of a guided yoga video on Office Wellness and a Cancer Wellness Yoga Protocol.
Governor Om Prakash Mathur, the chief guest, greeted participants and praised yoga as “India’s invaluable gift to humanity,” saying the practice supports wellbeing at every life stage — improving concentration in children, helping youth manage stress, and enabling seniors to remain active. He highlighted the global acceptance of International Yoga Day and recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in promoting the observance as a worldwide movement for holistic health.
The ceremony was attended by Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa, AYUSH Minister GT Dhungel, Member of Parliament Indra Hang Subba, Chief Secretary R. Telang, DGP Akshay Sachdeva, the mayor and deputy mayor of Gangtok Municipal Corporation, ministers, MLAs, advisors, department heads, nodal officers for yoga, and personnel from ITBP, SSB and Sikkim Police, along with many students and government staff.
Minister GT Dhungel lauded the state’s response to recent national yoga initiatives. He said Sikkim registered 155,623 participants in the 14-day hybrid programme organised by the Ministry of AYUSH and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, securing the second-highest number of registrations nationally and emerging as the top-performing state when measured by population participation, with nearly 26 percent of residents taking part. He credited Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang for encouraging widespread involvement and announced the state-level yoga initiative has been extended until July 5, 2026.
AYUSH secretary Suchitra Rasaily delivered the welcome address, underlining the observance’s focus on holistic health and healthy lifestyles, and conveyed greetings from the Chief Minister, who was unable to attend. On the occasion, cash prizes under the Har Ghar Yoga Campaign were awarded to schools: Government Secondary School, Rhenock Bazar (Junior High) received Rs 20,000; PM Shri Government Secondary School, Ralap (Secondary) received Rs 30,000; and PM Shri Government Senior Secondary School, Rhenock (Senior Secondary) received Rs 50,000.
A mass yoga session was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Sumiran Tamang, Dr. Kunzang Yezir Bhutia and Dr. Youngkent Lepcha. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. Ganita Thapa, principal director-cum-mission director of the National AYUSH Mission, who thanked all dignitaries and participants for making the celebration successful.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/12th-international-day-of-yoga-2026-observed-at-gangtok
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date:
