Prez marks int'l yoga day in Doon as state unveils India's 1st policy
Dehradun: President Droupadi Murmu, on the final day of her three-day visit to Dehradun, participated in the 11th
International Yoga Day
celebrations at the Police Lines on Saturday, highlighting Yoga's role in uniting nations and promoting holistic health.
"Since 2015, Yoga has become a common heritage of all humanity.
It is an important example of India's 'soft power' — the art of living a healthy life, benefiting the body, mind, and overall personality. When a person is healthy, the family tends to remain healthy, and when families and society remain healthy, the country remains healthy," she said.
The President emphasised that Yoga connects the body, mind and soul, making the person healthy and strong.
"Yoga can also connect one person to another, one community to another, and one country to another. It is a common belief that prevention is better than cure, and Yoga is considered highly effective in this regard," she added. Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) also attended the event and spoke about the country's rich Yoga heritage and this year's global theme of 'One Earth, One Health'.
Meanwhile, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami led celebrations in Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand, where he was joined by Padma Shri Swami Bharat Bhushan and delegates from eight countries.
The event marked the launch of the country's first Yoga Policy for the state, passed by the state cabinet in May this year.
Under the policy, five new Yoga hubs will be established across the state by 2030, and Yoga services will be available in all AYUSH health and wellness centres by March 2026. New Yoga centers and those opting for expansion will be eligible for grants covering 50% of project costs, up to Rs 20 lakh in hilly areas and 25% or Rs 10 lakh in plains.
The total annual grant limit will be Rs 5 crore.
The policy also aims to develop two spiritual cities — one each in Garhwal and Kumaon — and allocate Rs 11 crore for research in Yoga, meditation and naturopathy, with grants of up to Rs 10 lakh per project. Plans are in place to establish a dedicated Yoga directorate and transform places like Rishikesh, Kausani, Champawat, Jageshwar, Mukteshwar, Vyas Valley, Tehri Lake and Kolidek Lake into special Yoga hubs.
The state aims to build partnerships with 15 to 20 national and international institutions by March 2028.
While unveiling a booklet based on the Yoga policy, Dhami announced that Uttarakhand aims to become the global capital of Yoga and wellness. "A spiritual economic zone will be established in both Garhwal and Kumaon, and two new towns will be developed in the state's mountainous areas for Yoga, Ayurveda and spirituality.
Our mantra is 'Har Ghar Yog, Har Jan Nirog' (Yoga in every home, health for every person)," he said.
The celebrations were attended by international delegates, including Mexico's ambassador to India Federico Salas, high commissioner of Fiji Jaganath Sami, Nepal's ambassador Shankar Prasad Sharma, Suriname's ambassador Arunkoemar Hardien, Mongolia's ambassador Dambajav Ganbold, Latvia's deputy head of mission Marks Ditons, Sri Lanka's minister-counsellor Lakshmendra Geshan Dissanayake and representatives from the Russian Embassy, Kristina Ananina and Ekaterina Lazareva.
According to Deependra Kumar Chaudhary, secretary of the Ayush Department of Uttarakhand, the state is setting an example for the rest of the country. "With the launch of India's first Yoga Policy for 2025, Uttarakhand has positioned itself as a global destination for Ayurveda, Yoga, spirituality and wellness tourism. Currently, the state has 770 Ayurvedic medical officers, 117 homeopathic doctors and four Unani doctors serving remote areas, while 300 Ayush doctors are working across various projects of the state health department.
Ayush and allopathy complement each other, and Ayush units have been established in hospitals across the state to ensure an integrated approach to healthcare and provide holistic medical services to the people of Uttarakhand," he said.
Meanwhile, in Garsari village of Almora, children explored Yoga through interactive games conducted by Yoga therapist Arun Budhiraja, founder of Ayushman India. He led a session called 'Krida Yoga', combining traditional Yoga practices with interactive games such as 'Do the Opposite with Awareness', where participants responded only when prompted by a specific cue, making Yoga a fun and focused activity for children.
"It is important to make Yoga and Yoga therapy an integral part of academic learning through enjoyable and interactive methods," said Budhiraja.
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