Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address at the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Kolkata, West Bengal on June 21, 2026. The event was attended by Governor R. N. Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav, and participants from across India and globally.
The PM highlighted Kolkata's 'Yoga of Cleanliness' initiative and the Swachhata Se Swagat program as inspirational examples for the nation. He emphasized Bengal's historical significance to yoga, noting it as the birthplace of Bhagwan Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda who introduced yoga to the world, Maharshi Aurobindo, and Lahiri Mahasaya who elevated yoga traditions.
This year's theme was 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing', focusing on maintaining health, energy, and activity levels throughout life. The PM stated that yoga helps maintain flexibility at 40 compared to 20, higher energy at 50 than at 30, and better resistance to lifestyle diseases at 70 than at 50. He explained that yoga teaches lifelong learning about one's body and mind, enabling better self-management.
The speech referenced the Gita's teachings on balanced living through proper food, recreation, actions, duties, sleep, and wakefulness as the foundation of yoga. The PM emphasized that yoga addresses both mental and physical health, creating awareness that leads to personal peace and potentially world peace.
A significant initiative mentioned was 'Yoga 365', which included a 100-day online yoga program that saw unprecedented participation with over 3 million people from 130 countries. The PM concluded with a call to make yoga a daily practice rather than a one-day event, integrating it into family life and future generations.