Visakhapatnam Sets New Guinness Record for Largest Yoga Gathering

Historic Yoga Event in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, June 21: Over three hundred thousand individuals gathered in Visakhapatnam on Saturday to celebrate the 11th International Day of Yoga, establishing a new Guinness World Record for the largest yoga session held in a single location.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the yoga session, performing the Common Yoga Protocol alongside 301,000 participants at RK Beach.

He was accompanied by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, and various central and state ministers.

The event spanned a 28-kilometer stretch from RK Beach to Bhogapuram, surpassing the previous record set in 2023 in Surat, which had 147,000 participants.

Participants displayed great enthusiasm during this vibrant event, which marked the conclusion of the month-long ‘Yogandhra’ campaign.

Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including political leaders, bureaucrats, professionals, youth, students, women, senior citizens, and children, came together to practice yoga along the coastline.

Approximately 11,000 Navy personnel and their families also participated, with the Eastern Naval Command organizing yoga sessions on naval ships stationed near Visakhapatnam.

This event wrapped up the successful Yogandhra campaign, which engaged 21.7 million participants across the state, setting multiple records.

The gathering highlighted yoga's universal appeal, uniting participants from tribal communities to urban professionals in a celebration of this ancient discipline.

Authorities set up 326 designated areas for participants to perform yoga asanas in unison, with coordination managed through 607 Urban Secretariats and additional staff from rural secretariats.

Following the event, representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records presented certificates to state ministers Nara Lokesh and Satya Kumar.

The ministers also received a certificate for a Guinness Record for a mass Surya Namaskar event held in Visakhapatnam the day before, which saw participation from 22,122 tribal students.

Lokesh expressed his contentment with the event's success, stating it was organized as a tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aiming to secure a Guinness World Record.

He noted that the event exceeded their expectations and celebrated it as a victory for the people of Andhra, attributing the success to the awareness raised during the month-long campaign.

Lokesh mentioned that the Prime Minister's commendations have heightened his sense of responsibility.