Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the eve of International Yoga Day, 21 June 2026, issued a message to the people of Uttarakhand, describing yoga as an invaluable heritage of India's ancient Sanatan culture and calling on citizens to adopt daily practice as a path to physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Context

In his message, CM Dhami said: 'Yog Bharat ki sanatan sanskriti ki amooly dharohar hai' ('Yoga is the priceless heritage of India's eternal culture'). He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership for bringing yoga its global recognition, noting that today crores of people across most countries of the world have made yoga a part of their lifestyle. The statement was released on the evening of Saturday, 20 June 2026.

The Chief Minister also invoked the ancient sage Patanjali, whose compilation of the Yoga Sutras he described as a guiding light for humanity, and underlined that yoga unites body, breath and mind into a single discipline.

Policy Backdrop

International Yoga Day has been observed every 21 June since 2015, following a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 2014 sponsored by India after PM Modi proposed the observance during his address to the UN. The day has since become a centrepiece of India's cultural diplomacy and soft-power outreach worldwide.

Uttarakhand, long identified as Devbhoomi — the 'Land of the Gods' — has positioned itself as a natural home for yoga and spiritual practice since its hill ashrams attracted practitioners from across the globe. State tourism policy documents since 2018 have formally identified yoga and wellness as priority economic sectors. CM Dhami reiterated that the state government is working continuously to establish Uttarakhand as a global centre for yoga, Ayurveda, wellness and naturopathy.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Chief Minister specifically highlighted a new yoga policy under which yoga and meditation centres are being encouraged, support is being extended to yoga trainers, and new employment opportunities in the yoga and wellness sector are being developed. This positions the initiative as both a cultural and an economic lever for the state.

CM Dhami called on all citizens to take a pledge to practise yoga daily, lead a healthy and disciplined lifestyle, contribute to building a drug-free society, and spread the message of yoga to every person. He expressed confidence that the youth of the state would give yoga the character of a mass movement and participate in building a healthy, prosperous and empowered Uttarakhand.

What's Next

The government's stated ambition — to make Uttarakhand a globally recognised wellness destination — will be tested by the implementation milestones of its new yoga policy, including trainer registrations, centre incentives and measurable employment generation. With International Yoga Day 2026 falling on Sunday, 21 June, state-level events and participation figures will offer an early gauge of the policy's on-ground traction.

As the global wellness economy continues to expand, Uttarakhand's ability to translate its spiritual heritage into structured economic opportunity will determine whether the state can emerge as the premier yoga and wellness hub it aspires to be.