Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 12th [1] International Day of Yoga celebrations at Red Road in Kolkata, West Bengal, on Sunday.
The event emphasizes the global adoption of yoga as a tool for public health and longevity, positioning the practice as a unifying force across different cultures.
Thousands [2] of participants gathered in Kolkata to join the mass yoga session. The 2026 observance focused on the specific theme of “Yoga for Healthy Ageing” [3]. Modi said that yoga is an expression of human spirit and urged people not to confine the practice to any specific age group [4].
Global participation reached a significant scale this year. Nearly 2,500 [5] locations worldwide held celebrations to mark the day. Additionally, more than 210 [6] Indian missions and posts participated in the international events.
Modi said the occasion is the world's largest community celebration, noting that it brings people together across countries and cultures [7]. He said that the goal is to make yoga a permanent part of daily life [8].
The celebrations in Kolkata served as the primary hub for the national observance. The event combined physical demonstrations of yoga asanas with messages regarding the mental, and physical benefits of the practice for aging populations [3].
“Yoga is an expression of human spirit.”
The 12th International Day of Yoga signals India's continued use of soft power to export traditional wellness practices as global health standards. By centering the 2026 theme on healthy ageing, the initiative pivots toward addressing the needs of an ageing global population, moving beyond general fitness to targeted geriatric health advocacy.
