Yoga Day celebrations 2018: From one stretch to another, across the country

Calling yoga a “unifying force and passport for wellness,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with 50,000 volunteers kick-started India’s fourth International Yoga Day celebrations in Dehradun on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

A series of yoga-related events are also being organised across the world to mark the occasion. (Express photo by Javed Raja)

Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing yoga along with thousands of others during a mass Yoga event on 4th International Yoga Day at FRI ground in Dehradun on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

ITBP personnel perform yoga to commemorate International Day of Yoga near Ladakh on Thursday. (ITBP Photo via PTI)

Yoga enthusiasts participate in a mass yoga session to mark the 4th International Day of Yoga organised by Brahma Kumaris at Red Fort in New Delhi on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu along with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis performing Yoga at Bandra reclamation on the ocassion of International Yoga Day 2018. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performing Yogasana on Thursday. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said, "I want it to become a people's movement because it is not something political or religious, it is for the betterment of our lives. It shouldn't be just for one day, it should be a part of our daily lives." (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani doing Yogasana in Ahmedabad on Thursday. (Express photo by Javed Raja)

Yoga performance on INS Viraat, a Centaur class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. It has been decommissioned and docked at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Paramilitary officers and soliders of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) perform yoga asanas on the occasion of International Day of Yoga at Home Training Recruit training centres on the outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

PM Modi said, “While many powers in the world divide us, yoga unites us. It gives peace to an individual. Instead of further animosity, Yoga assimilates.” (Express photo by Javed Raja)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called India a top ambassador of yoga and said the country should be honoured to be the “guardians of the great practice.” (Express photo by Javed Raja)

Forest research Institute (FRI) members perform Yoga in Dehradun on Thursday. (Express photo)

People perform Yoga at Kolkata maidan on Thursday. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

The participants at Dehradun event include Baba Ramdev’s Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar-based Shanti Kunj, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living, participants from the “spiritual organisation” Brahma Kumaris, and yoga practitioners from Swami Chidanand Saraswati’s Rishikesh-based Parmarth Niketan. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

In wake of yoga day, elaborate security arrangements have been put in the National Capital. More than 500 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to keep an eye on suspicious elements. (Express photo by Javed Raja)

Mumbai police force performing Yoga at Bendra reclamation on Thursday. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

Residents of Gujarat performing Yoga at 4th International Day of Yoga on Thursday.(Express photo by Javed Raja)

Chandigarh residents participated in celebrations at dumping ground. (Express photo Sahil Walia)

Border Security Force (BSF) constables perform Yoga at the Border Out Posts of Punjab frontier on Thursday. (Source: Twitter/BSF)

Indian Naval Ships Shakti and Kamorta of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet, presently on a deployment in Western Pacific and South East Asia, practicing Yoga somewhere in Celebes Sea on the occasion of International Day of Yoga 2018. (Source: Indian Navy)

Indian Navy officers perform Yoga on Ships Shakti and Kamorta of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet. (Source: Indian Navy)

School girls in Srinagar practice yoga on International Yoga Day at Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium on Thursday. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

In Delhi, eight events have been planned in the national capital with the main celebration being held in the Connaught Place. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush goyal performing yoga on International Yoga Day at Noida Stadium in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Embassy of France in Delhi celebrates 4th International Yoga Day on Thursday morning. The colour of the Yoga mats and the t-shirts represents the national flag of France. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with Governer of Uttar Praesh Ram Naik and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participating at 4th Internation Yoga Day at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow on Thursday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Union Minister Smriti Irani along with Governor of Punjab VP Singh Badnore and other guests performing yoga at 4th International Day of Yoga at Plaza in Sector 17 of Chandigarh on Thursday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

Residents of Sector 123 and nearby villages of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, performing yoga using masks, next to the new dumping yard on Thursday. They blamed the Noida Authority of violating the rules by building a landfill site in a residential area. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

School kids performing yoga inside a swimming pool. (Express Photo By Bhupendra Rana)

Lucknow residents participating at 4th International Yoga Day at Raj Bhawan on Thursday .(Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Chandigarh residents after performing yoga at International Day of Yoga on Thursday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

Gujarat Assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi along with Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala perform yoga in Sama indoor complex. (Express Photo By Bhupendra Rana)

Delhi enthusiasts perform yoga during 4th International Day of Yoga at Lodi Gardens on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi perform yoga to mark the 4th International Day of Yoga in Ranchi on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

People perform Aqua Yoga at a water park near Gandhinagar in Gujarat on Thursday. (Express Photo by Javed Raja)

Yoga enthusiasts perform yoga to mark the 4th International Day of Yoga at Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

Paramilitary officers and soliders of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) perform yoga asanas on the occasion of International Day of Yoga at Home Training Recruit training centres on the outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Inmates of Central Jail perform yoga to mark the 4th International Day of Yoga 2018 in Bhopal on Thursday. (Source: PTI)