Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma participated in the state-level International Yoga Day programme at Aburoad (Abu Raj) in Sirohi district on 21 June 2026, marking the 12th International Yoga Day with a mass yoga session on the banks of Nakki Lake in the Aravalli hills. The Chief Minister's Office of Rajasthan announced the event, sharing that Sharma also listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address delivered from Kolkata during the occasion.

Context

The International Day of Yoga is observed every year on 21 June, following a UN General Assembly resolution in December 2014 moved at India's initiative. Prime Minister Modi, who first proposed the observance at the United Nations, has addressed the annual event since its inaugural edition in 2015. This year's central address was delivered from Kolkata, with state governments organising parallel programmes across the country.

Rajasthan's state-level event was held at Aburoad, a hill town in Sirohi district nestled in the Aravalli Range — one of the oldest mountain systems in India. The venue beside Nakki Lake lent the programme a spiritual and scenic character consistent with the state's broader wellness-tourism identity.

Policy Backdrop

Rajasthan has organised state-level Yoga Day programmes at scenic or heritage locations every year since 2015, in alignment with the Government of India's Common Yoga Protocol — a standardised sequence of postures used in mass demonstrations nationwide. The choice of Aravalli locations reflects an ongoing state strategy to link wellness initiatives with spiritual tourism and regional identity.

CM Sharma described Abu Raj (Aburoad) as 'Aravalliकी पावन गोद में बसी, अध्यात्म की भूमि' — 'the land of spirituality cradled in the sacred lap of the Aravalli' — underlining the symbolic resonance of the venue. India has consistently positioned Yoga Day as both a low-cost public-health intervention and an element of soft power, with states amplifying the central message through local events.

Stakeholders and Impact

Addressing the assembled gathering at Nakki Lake, CM Sharma administered a pledge committing participants to mental stability, self-development, dutifulness, and the promotion of peace, joy, and health in society and the world. The pledge-taking ceremony is a standard feature of state-level Yoga Day observances under the Common Yoga Protocol framework.

White balloons were released at the event to convey the message of world peace and the state government's 'Nirogi Rajasthan' (Healthy Rajasthan) campaign. Residents of Rajasthan, yoga practitioners, and the wellness-tourism sector are the primary stakeholders of such state-led observances, which draw public participation and media attention to AYUSH-linked health messaging.

What's Next

The state's engagement with Yoga Day programming feeds into longer-term policy conversations around budget allocations for AYUSH and wellness tourism in Rajasthan. The selection of Aburoad as the 2026 state venue — a spiritually significant hill destination — signals continued state interest in positioning Rajasthan's Aravalli belt as a wellness and spiritual-tourism corridor. Preparations and venue selection for the 2027 International Yoga Day will be watched as an indicator of the state's evolving priorities in health promotion and tourism linkage.