In every J&K district, celebrations were held, which were attended mostly by the student community. In Lal Chowk, not only the locals but also tourists participated in the Yoga Celebrations.
For the first time ever, on the 11th International Yoga Day, celebrations were held at the historic Ghanta Ghar area of Lal Chowk Srinagar. Thousands of people today participated in the International Yoga Day celebrations across various districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Lal Chowk.
Despite being a Muslim majority area, Jammu and Kashmir is fast adopting yoga as a part of life. The number of people attending yoga celebrations has gone up massively in the last few years. In every district, celebrations were held, which were attended mostly by the student community. In Lal Chowk, not only the locals but also tourists participated in the Yoga Celebrations.
Meanwhile, the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, also attended the International Yoga Day function in Udhampur district of Jammu division.
''The message is to spread the peace. The message is to make Kashmir a healthier place, a peaceful place. We are celebrating the 11th International Yoga Day under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. This place has a significance in Kashmir history; it has always been associated with turmoil and violence. Now the message is that Lal chowk would be known for peace, '' said Sheikh Salman, BJP District President.
The BJP, with a motive to promote tourism, organised the function at Srinagar's Lal Chowk area. They said it would send a message to the people across the country that Kashmir is peaceful and they can visit.
''The whole world is celebrating today and now people in the Kashmir Valley have adopted yoga as well. This is the historic Lal Chowk where we celebrated the International Yoga day with the message that Yoga is important for healthy life and if we are healthy the whole country would be fit. You also saw how tourists participated today in the celebration; we want to tell people that Kashmir is peaceful and the condition in the valley is fine now. And they should come back to Kashmir, '' said Altaf Thakur, BJP State Spokesperson.
A huge participation of the students was seen in every International Yoga Day celebration across various districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Students said that yoga is essential for a healthy lifestyle and a stress-free life.
''I really enjoyed it here today during the International Yoga Day Celebration. I feel very relaxed after the yoga session. I want everyone to do Yoga. It has a lot of benefits, and it also helps us to take away the stress from our lives, '' said Fatima, a student.
The popularity of yoga is increasing with every passing day, especially after the initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 to celebrate International Yoga Day.