Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21 June 2025 urged Indians to integrate yoga into their everyday routines, delivering his address at a large gathering on Red Road in central Kolkata to mark the 12th International Day of Yoga. The Prime Minister emphasised that yoga promotes physical health, mental clarity, and sustained well-being across all stages of life.

Key Remarks from the Prime Minister

Addressing thousands of yoga enthusiasts assembled at Red Road on Sunday morning, Modi said that yoga transcends boundaries and has made 21 June the world's largest shared wellness observance. He urged citizens not to limit yoga to a single day or occasion.

'Remember, yoga ensures that ageing does not impact the working potential of human beings. So, if you adopt yoga as part of your daily life and also a part of your family, at your fifties you will feel as if you are in your thirties and in your seventies you will feel that you are in your forties,' the Prime Minister said.

He also invoked the Bhagavad Gita, noting that Lord Krishna prescribed combining yoga with moderation in eating, work, and sleep as the path to a fulfilling life.

Bengal's Bond with Yoga: The Vivekananda Connection

Modi drew a direct line between yoga and West Bengal's cultural legacy, citing Swami Vivekananda's historic address at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893. 'Swamiji said that yoga is the only way to liberation. He said that yoga is joy and love. Swamiji then spoke about the development of mind and body through yoga. This yoga is the old culture of West Bengal,' Modi said. The reference was aimed at grounding the global wellness movement in Bengal's own philosophical heritage.

What the New West Bengal CM Said

Also present at the event was West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who took office as the state's ninth Chief Minister. Adhikari said that despite yoga's deep roots in Bengal, deliberate attempts had been made in the past to disconnect it from daily life in the state. Without naming any party or individual, he noted that previous state governments had no involvement in the International Yoga Day initiative.

'This time, the people of West Bengal have taken a historic decision. So, this time the International Yoga Day is being celebrated in West Bengal. I think more than one crore people in Bengal will participate in this event,' Adhikari said.

Modi's Post on X and the Yoga Session

The Prime Minister also shared glimpses of the event on social media platform X, writing: 'From physical wellness to inner peace, yoga enriches every aspect of life. Delighted to join this year's celebrations in Kolkata.' The speeches were followed by a joint yoga session in which both Modi and Adhikari participated alongside the assembled crowd.

Significance of the Kolkata Edition

The choice of Kolkata as the venue for the national-level International Yoga Day event carries symbolic weight. It marks the first time West Bengal has hosted the central government's flagship celebration of the day, and coincides with a change in political leadership in the state. Notably, this is the 12th edition of the global observance, which the United Nations adopted in 2014 following a proposal by India. The event signals a visible shift in the Centre-state dynamic in West Bengal under the new administration.