The government marked the fourth International Day of Yoga nationwide with several programs with the objective of highlighting the significance of yoga to human health.

The 4th International Yoga Day was marked by various organizations organizing yoga sessions on Thursday. Addressing a program organized by Patanjali Yogapeeth on the occasion of the 4th International Yoga Day at Maharajgunj this morning, acting Prime Minister Iswor Pokharel said the government would put efforts to gradually develop Nepal as a hub for health, spiritual and yoga.

Organized jointly by the Ministry of Education and Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, the organizers shared that the day would be observed with a special event where yoga was practiced in the presence of the acting prime minister Pokharel.

Acting PM Pokharel, who is also the Defense Minister said the government would lay emphasis on promoting yoga for developing healthy citizens adding that yoga is gaining popularity and is being taught as curricular and extra-curricular activity in the educational institutions.

"The importance of Yoga is increasing across the globe day by day. It should be widely publicized from different fronts", he added.

The UN has recognized June 21 as the international Yoga Day since 2014.

Yoga heals our mind, body and soul and hence, it won’t be wrong to say that this healthy practice helps to maintain sanity in our day to day life. Yoga is believed to be practised for over 5000 years now and people from all walks of life, caste, creed and age have adopted it to lead a happy lifestyle. To mark its importance, International Day of Yoga is celebrated every year on 21 st June.