Vice-President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan participated in the International Day of Yoga celebrations at Spituk Stadium in Leh, Ladakh, calling upon citizens to make yoga an integral part of their daily lives for a healthier, happier and more peaceful society. He stated that yoga represents an ancient gift from Bharat to humanity that nurtures the body, calms the mind and elevates the soul through a holistic system developed by India's sages.
The Vice-President highlighted that the global recognition of yoga received renewed momentum under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, whose 2014 call at the United Nations General Assembly led to the adoption of 21 June as International Day of Yoga with support from over 175 member nations. Addressing this year's theme "Yoga for Healthy Ageing," he cited the India Ageing Report 2023 which projects that by 2050, nearly one-fifth of India's population will be elderly, emphasizing the need to ensure that "added years to life also mean added life to years" through yoga's promotion of physical health and mental well-being.
Radhakrishnan noted that life at high altitudes demands endurance, discipline and adaptability—qualities that yoga helps cultivate—and praised the people of Ladakh for exemplifying resilience, simplicity and harmony with nature. He described Ladakh residents as calm, peaceful, kind and deeply connected to nature, embodying qualities associated with healthy living that resonate with yoga philosophy.
The event was attended by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh Shri Mohmad Haneefa, Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Kargil Shri Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh Shri Ashish Kundra, along with senior civil and military officials, yoga practitioners, students and local community members. Earlier, the Vice-President visited the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in Leh, appreciating its contributions to education, healthcare, social welfare, environmental sustainability and promotion of yoga/meditation, while commending founder Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena's visionary leadership.