HÀ NỘI — Thousands of people will participate in the third International Yoga Day, to be held across nine cities and provinces between June 17 and July 2.

The event is a series of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and 10th anniversary of strategic partnership between Việt Nam and India.

People will join in a mass yoga performance in the cities of Hà Nội, HCM, Đà Nẵng and Vĩnh Phúc, Nghệ An, Khánh Hòa, Long An, Đồng Nai and Cần Thơ provinces. The event is being hosted by the Indian Embassy along with Bảo Việt Life Corporation, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism and local authorities.

The event will open with a two-hour mass performance at Lý Thái Tổ Park, Hà Nội, on June 17 at 7pm. Around 2,000 people are expected to join in. There will also be performances by art troupes from Northeast India and Vietnamese artists.

International Yoga Day will be celebrated in HCM City on June 25, at Nguyễn Huệ Street, District 1 with an expected crowd of more than 2,000. The event, which will begin at 6 pm, will be broadcast live on HCM City Television channels.

Indian Ambassador to Việt Nam Parvathaneni Harish expressed his appreciation at the large number of Vietnamese people who took part in the event last year. “I was surprised at the huge, nationwide response by Vietnamese people, who, I see, have a passion for yoga and practise it daily,” he said. “Most of these performances were early in the morning, at 5- 5.30am, and thousands of people joined in. In my 27 years as a diplomat serving in various countries, I have found this country’s enthusiasm is unparalleled.”

Smita Pant, Consul General of India, said that yoga expressed the unity between people and nature.

Speaking at the press conference held on Tuesday, Ngô Thị Thanh Tâm, a representative of Bảo Việt Life Corporation, which is co-hosting the event, said: “We consider human life an invaluable property. We are honoured to co-ordinate with the Indian Embassy and other agencies in creating a chance for yoga practitioners in Việt Nam to express their love for the art, to inspire others, and enhance people’s awareness in improving health and nurturing peace in their minds so as to build a healthy community with bright minds.”

On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 69/131 declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014, said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being.”

To register for the event, visit https://iyogadayietnam.org and facebook.com/IndiaInVietnam. — VNS