Guinness world record created at PM Modi's Yoga event in US for most nationalities

The Yoga session led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Yoga Day event held at the United Nations headquarters in New York created a Guinness world record for seeing participation from most nationalities. The event was organised to mark the 9th annual International Yoga Day.

The world celebrates the International Day of Yoga annually on June 21 since 2015, after the United Nations General Assembly declared the day in 2014.

People from the highest number of nationalities participated this year in the Yoga session held at the United Nations headquarters, making a Guinness world record.

Confirming the world record, Guinness World Records official adjudicator Michael Empric said, "Today there was a Guinness World Records title attempt for most nationalities in a Yoga lesson. The mark to be was 140 nationalities. Today in New York, at the UN, they have 135. It is a new Guinness world records title."

Many prominent personalities also participated in the Yoga event which was led by PM Modi. The list of personalities included award-winning Indian chef and restaurateur Vikas Khanna, famous Hollywood actor Richard Gere, award-winning storyteller Jay Shetty, American singer Falguni Shah and more. Gere, who reached the UN headquarters ahead of the event, said, "It is a very nice feeling here today."

Yoga comes from India, says PM Modi

Addressing the event, ahead of the Yoga session, PM Modi said, "We've gathered here at the meeting point of entire humanity. I am delighted to see you all and thank you all for coming. I am told that almost every nationality is represented here today. Yoga means to unite, so you are coming together is an expression of another form of Yoga."

"Yoga comes from India, it is an old tradition. Yoga is free from copyright, free from patents, and free from royalty," the prime minister said.

Surat's YogaDay event sets new Guinness World Record

A Yoga Day event held in Surat city of the Indian state Gujarat on Wednesday created a new Guinness World Record for the largest congregation of people in a yoga session with the participation of 1.53 lakh people in the programme, said officials.

"The Yoga Day event in Surat has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session in one place. More than one lakh people took part in the event and broke the previous record," stated Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi.

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"While the state government had set a target of 1.25 lakh people for the Yoga session in Surat, officials of the Guinness World Records have confirmed that more than 1.50 lakh people gathered at the venue," stated Shalini Agarwal, Commissioner, Surat Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, the state-level International Day of Yoga celebration saw the participation of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in the Dumas area of Surat.

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