Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a beacon of global wellness as Visakhapatnam takes centre stage in hosting the grand celebrations of the 11th International Day of Yoga. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in the port city on Friday evening, lauded the state’s leadership for its extraordinary efforts in bringing global attention to India’s ancient wellness tradition.
PM Modi was warmly received at Visakhapatnam Airport by Governor S. Abdul Nazar, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Minister Nara Lokesh, and other dignitaries.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu took to X to express pride in the occasion, writing:
“His visit marks a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh, as we host Yogandhra 2025 – a national celebration of International Yoga Day right here in Vizag. As the world turns its attention to the transformative power of yoga, it is inspiring to see our state take centre stage in this global movement for wellness and unity.”
During an informal interaction with CM Naidu, Dy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Ram Mohan Naidu, the Prime Minister praised their vision in conceptualising ‘Yogandhra 2025’, which aspires to set multiple world records.
After arriving at INS Dega, the Prime Minister retired to the Navy guesthouse for the night. On Saturday morning, he will participate in a mass yoga demonstration along with over 3 lakh people at RK Beach, as part of the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) session. He will be joined by Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav and CM Naidu in leading the celebrations.
Elaborate preparations have been made along a 26-kilometer stretch from RK Beach to Bhogapuram, with yoga sessions synchronised across 10 lakh locations nationwide under the ‘Yoga Sangam’ initiative.
CM Naidu, in a social media post, said:
“Over 2 crore people will join this movement across 1 lakh locations in our state. Together, let’s make YogaAndhra2025 a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh.”
The state aims to secure two Guinness World Records and 22 total world records through this initiative. Notably, 3.19 lakh people are expected to perform yoga simultaneously at RK Beach, while participants from 8 lakh locations worldwide will join in.
The month-long “Yogandhra” campaign, running from May 21 to June 21, featured over 15,000 yoga competitions from village to state levels. More than 5,400 master trainers conducted sessions at iconic locations, issuing participation certificates to over 1.05 crore individuals, all linked via Aadhaar and QR codes.
Themed “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” the event also aligns with Andhra Pradesh’s long-term wellness vision. Plans are underway to integrate yoga into school curricula from Class 9 onwards, with sessions held weekly. The state is also exploring the establishment of a deemed university dedicated to yoga education and research.
