DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial in Amritsar and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort in Jalandhar will be among the five historical sites in Punjab and Haryana selected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to organise International Day of Yoga (IDY) events on Saturday, an official said on Thursday.

The Bathinda Fort, Shamsher Khan's Tomb in district Gurdaspur in Punjab and Prithviraj Chauhan's Fort in Haryana's Hisar district will also host yoga sessions on IDY.

The Chandigarh Circle of ASI will organise yoga sessions at these five heritage monuments ? four in Punjab and one in Haryana, all of which are among the 100 iconic sites identified by the Ministry of Culture for IDY 2025 celebrations, said an official statement. The celebration of the 11th IDY will take place from 6 A.M. to 7.45 A.M. on Saturday. It will begin with the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address, followed by the Common Yoga Protocol session conducted for all participants.

The celebration aligns with the global theme of promoting yoga as a holistic approach to health and well-being.

According to the ASI's plan, Amarjeet Mehta, President, Punjab Cricket Association, will be the chief guest at the event in Bathinda Fort and Amansher Singh, Legislator from Batala, will be the chief guest at Shamsher Khan's Tomb.

Legislator Ajay Gupta will be the chief guest at Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial in Amritsar and Paramjeet Singh, PPS, SSP, Punjab Police, will lead the yoga session at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort, Phillaur.

The event at Prithviraj Chauhan's Fort at Hansi in district Hisar will be led by Legislator Vinod Bhayana and Hansi Municipal Committee Chairman Praveen Allawadi.

The ASI also invited students, government officials, members of voluntary organisations, and the general public to participate in the celebrations at these historic venues.

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Since then, millions of people around the globe, united by the practice of yoga, have celebrated this day each year.

IDY has successfully completed 10 years and this year's yoga day will mark a significant milestone-promoting yoga as a global movement that enhances physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

"We are celebrating the 11th IDY in a truly global and inclusive manner," said the statement.

(editor@dailyworld.in)