PM To Participate In Yoga Day Event At Visakhapatnam, Mega Prep Underway

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the International Yoga Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam on Saturday and the Andhra Pradesh government is pulling out all stops to ensure that the event is a grand one. 

The celebration is being billed as one of the world's largest yoga gatherings, with a goal of setting multiple records, including one recognised by Guinness World Records.

After months of preparations and dozens of meetings, thousands of yoga-related events have been held to build momentum for the event and celebrate the discipline that has become one of the biggest markers of India's soft power, helping millions bring equilibrium between the physical, mental and spiritual worlds.

Saturday's event will be held between 6 and 8 am along a 26-kilometre stretch from Ramakrishna Beach in Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram, where about five lakh people are expected to perform yoga simultaneously. Officials said 326 designated sections will have about 1,000 participants each. Over 3,000 buses will be deployed to bring yoga participants to the event site. 

Massive security arrangements have been made, with more than 10,000 police personnel deployed. Surveillance will be maintained through 1,200 CCTV cameras and drone monitoring along the entire route. A state-of-the-art control room has also been set up to coordinate the event's security, especially in light of the Prime Minister's presence.

Statewide Commitment

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the goal is not only to make a mark globally but to inspire a statewide commitment to yoga. To this end, the state plans to include yoga in its school curriculum from Class 9 and even start a deemed university dedicated to the practice. 

Mr Naidu has called for the adoption of a formal declaration on Yoga Day, promoting the discipline as a daily lifestyle practice and encouraging long-term public engagement with it.

Apart from the estimated five lakh people in Visakhapatnam, participants from 8 lakh locations across India and abroad are expected to be involved in the larger celebration. Registrations for the event have surged to over 2.39 crore, surpassing the initial target of 2 crore.

Among the standout efforts will be a special yoga demonstration by 25,000 tribal students performing 'Surya Namaskar' continuously for 108 minutes at the Andhra University campus in a bid to achieve global records for the largest group and most simultaneous participants performing the ancient sequence.

The authorities will also distribute 3.32 lakh t-shirts and 5 lakh yoga mats. Over 1.3 lakh yoga venues have been identified statewide, with backup arrangements in Visakhapatnam for 30,000 people in case of contingencies.

The state has also run a month-long awareness drive under the banner 'Yogandhra'. There were 15,000 yoga competitions held from the village to the state level.