Excellency Peter Thomson, President of General Assembly,
Excellency Ms. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chef de Cabinet
Respected Yoga Masters, 
Excellencies,
Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

•    I welcome you all on the eve of the Third International Day of Yoga at the United Nations, which will be celebrated globally tomorrow on 21 June. 

•    Three years ago, it was at the United Nations in this city of New York that 21 June was proclaimed as the International Day of Yoga in December 2014. 177 countries supported the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognizing the important role Yoga can play in bringing peace and prosperity in the world. 

•    Today's mammoth gathering at the United Nations marks the exponential growth in the awareness of Yoga. With over 2000 Yoga enthusiasts gathered from various countries, we are witnessing the largest ever congregation for celebrating the benefits of Yoga at the United Nations.  With yoga practitioners present in almost every country of the world, the reach and spread of Yoga is ever-increasing. Like, New York City, which itself witnesses numerous events to mark the important occasion, International Day of Yoga is now celebrated all across the world with great enthusiasm.

•    Today, Yoga masters from the banks of the river Ganges in India to the western world of Europe and United States, and from different walks of life have joined us to share the legacy of Yoga. These messengers of Yoga have contributed to nurturing, developing and spreading the rich discipline which is rapidly becoming a household name in every corner of the world. 

•    Yoga, an ancient discipline in India, is a vision for a harmonious future for humanity and transgresses gender, age, class and socio-economic diversity. India believes that Yoga belongs to everyone and should be shared with the world in an open and transparent way. 

•    As Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji has said 'Yoga is an ancient science which leads to health in the body, peace in the mind, joy in the heart and liberation of the soul.' Regular practice of Yoga is one of the ways which has been recognized to help attain state of healthy lives and well-being, in harmony with nature. 

•    The theme for this year's celebration at the United Nations is 'Yoga for Health'. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Yoga as a traditional medicine. Yoga, as a mind-body discipline, has also been added to the intangible cultural heritage list by UNESCO. A large number of institutions and yoga enthusiasts around the world are working committedly and tirelessly towards development and promotion of yoga. 

•    I express my heartfelt thanks to the thousands of yoga enthusiasts, who have all gathered at the United Nations to enjoy the fruits of Yoga and making the event memorable.

 I Thank You.