In pictures: Modi leads record attempt as India marks International Day of Yoga

People gather for events organised across the world to mark 11th International Day of Yoga

People across the world marked the 11th International Day of Yoga on Saturday with mass yoga sessions, community events and awareness drives to highlight this year’s theme – Yoga for One Earth, One Health.

In India, large events were held in every state and union territory, with prime minister Narendra Modi leading the main celebration from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

The beachfront yoga session, held along a 28km stretch of the city’s coastline, aimed to double the previous Guinness World Record for the largest yoga lesson – set in Gujarat on this day two years ago at 147,952 participants. Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister claimed 303,000 people attended on Saturday morning, though the final official tally was yet to be confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Indian military personnel also took part in Yoga Day celebrations, performing yoga on the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier in the Himalayas and aboard naval ships in the Bay of Bengal.

Border Security Force personnel on the International Day of Yoga, at the India-Pakistan border post at Wagah (AFP via Getty Images)

A girl performs yoga on the roof of an apartment on International Day of Yoga in Hyderabad (AP)

The United Nations first adopted 21 June as International Yoga Day in 2014 after a proposal by India was unanimously supported by the General Assembly. The date was chosen to coincide with the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, considered an auspicious time.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Modi shared photos and video from the celebrations at Visakhapatnam.

Narendra Modi performs yoga in Vishakhapatnam (via REUTERS)

Yoga enthusiasts participate in a yoga session organised by the High Commission of India at Independence Square in Colombo, Sri Lanka (EPA)

“Unfortunately, today the entire world is going through some tension. Unrest and instability have been increasing in many regions. In such times, yoga gives us the direction of peace. Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe, balance, and become whole again,” he said in his address.

Officials in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district held a special session held at the recently inaugurated Chenab Rail Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge.

In London, the Indian High Commission held a public yoga session on the Strand in collaboration with King’s College London, where high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami read out a special message from King Charles III.

“The theme of this year's day, Yoga for One Earth, One Health, reminds us how vitally important it is that the world comes together to secure a happy and healthy future for present and future generations,” read the King's message from Buckingham Palace.

“Year on year, Yoga is increasing in popularity across the United Kingdom, with millions of people in our country reaping its benefits.

“Yoga is a powerful means of enabling anyone to improve their physical and mental health and fosters a sense of wellbeing and togetherness within communities,” he said.

Indians perform yoga to mark International Day of Yoga at a playground in Guwahati (AP)

A girl performs yoga on top of a parked car to celebrate International Day of Yoga in Ahmedabad (AP)

Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor takes part in a yoga session in Mumbai (AFP via Getty Images)

A mother performs yoga with her infant in Lodhi Gardens, in New Delhi (EPA)

In New York, the Consulate General of India organised a large public yoga session at Times Square, drawing locals, tourists, and yoga practitioners to the heart of Manhattan. Held in collaboration with Times Square NYC, the event transformed the iconic intersection into an open-air yoga studio, where hundreds of participants performed asanas beneath towering billboards.