The Embassy of India in Belgrade, in collaboration with the Government of Serbia, celebrated the fifth International Day of Yoga (IDY) on 16th June in front of the National Assembly of Serbia.
Madam Vučić, wife of Hon´ble President of Serbia, joined the celebrations in Belgrade. She addressed the gathering at the beginning and participated in all Yoga exercises throughout one hour. Madam Vucic spoke on the importance of Yoga for health. She said that practice of yoga is good for both mind and body.
About 200 Serbians participated in the IDY 2019 celebrations. Participants also included old people as well as children. At the end of the event, participants were offered vegetarian snacks and non-alcoholic drinks as a part of the Vegetarian Food Festival organized on the occasion.
In addition to celebrations in Belgrade, IDY 2019 is being celebrated in 14 other Serbian cities including Novi Sad (at two places), Zrenjanin, Šabac, Bor, Loznica, Subotica, Sremska Mitrovica, Kragujevac, Apatin, Jagodina, Niš, Vršac and Smederevo. In most of the cities, celebrations are being organized at prominent places like fortress, city parks and city squares. About 600 Serbians are participating in the events outside Belgrade. This success and wide acceptance has only been made possible because of strong and invaluable support of Serbian government and people across the country.
International Day of Yoga is celebrated all over the world after United Nations adopted resolution of International Day of Yoga in 2014. Serbia was co-sponsor of the resolution. Millions of practitioners and enthusiasts across the world have participated in performance of yoga during previous editions. International Day of Yoga has emerged as a major event at iconic venues in most countries. It has also created awareness about yoga as an ancient heritage of entire humanity, geared to our physical and mental well-being. Today, yoga is a global phenomena uniting individuals, families and societies, who have embraced it as a way of life.
Prime Minister of India has said in his letter to Leaders of all countries including President of Serbia that “The message of yoga is one of inner peace and harmony with the external world, through physical, mental and spiritual well-being. The observance of the International Day of Yoga seeks to reinforce this message for every individual and motivate them to join our collective pursuit of these aspirations”.
