Bhaktapur: Nepal is celebrating the International Day of Yoga today with various programs across the country. This global event, observed annually since June 21, 2015, following a United Nations General Assembly decision in 2014, aims to promote the practice and benefits of yoga.

A special ceremony was organized this morning at SOS Children's Village in Bhaktapur, chaired by Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Sumana Shrestha. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' addressed the event, emphasizing Nepal's potential as a key destination for global researchers and academics studying yoga science. He highlighted that yoga is not just physical exercise but a comprehensive lifestyle promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Minister Shrestha also underscored the importance of adopting yoga for a healthy life. Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Dipak Kafle, read out a message from President Ramchandra Paudel, who reiterated the significance of yoga in fostering a healthy and happy life.

Prime Minister Dahal elaborated on yoga's role in promoting health and reducing mental tension, stating, "Yoga is the best way to make the body healthy and agile, and the mind pure and peaceful." He noted that regular yoga practice enhances physical health, mental clarity, work performance, immune power, and self-discipline. Dahal emphasized yoga's potential in preventing and curing non-communicable diseases and contributing to health rehabilitation.

Highlighting Nepal's potential for yoga tourism, the Prime Minister called for efforts to globalize yoga, appealing to yoga activists and gurus to take planned initiatives. He expressed confidence that the proposed Yogmaya Ayurveda University would become a world-class institution, reinforcing Nepal's position as a hub for yoga and wellness.