The High Commission of India (HCI) and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Colombo teamed up with the Sri Lankan Security Forces to celebrate the seventh ‘International Yoga Day’ on June 21 in virtual mode.
Around 500 defence personnel from about 150 defence establishments across Sri Lanka.
The messages of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, inspiring everyone to follow the tradition of Yoga due to its numerous benefits, were shared with the participants.
In his message, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the relevance of this year’s theme of Yoga Day, ‘Yoga for Wellness’ in the current Covid-19 situation.
In his message, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that Yoga is a precious, beautiful gift from the treasures of spiritual traditions and practices of Indian sages over a millennia, which has touched the lives of generations of people all over the world.
Due to Covid-19 related travel restrictions imposed this year, all events to mark the International Day of Yoga are being held in virtual mode. In the run up to the IDY, a number of free online Yoga sessions were organised by SVCC, in May-June. On June 20, 2021, a Yoga session was organised at the Param Dhamma Chetiya Pirivena in Ratmalana.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, close to around 7,000 participants attended various online events that were organised this year for the 7th International Day of Yoga.