Muni Ki Reti / Tehri: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the International Yoga Festival 2026 at Ganga Resort in Muni Ki Reti in Tehri district.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said yoga is not just a form of exercise but a holistic way of life that connects the soul with the divine.
He urged the youth to make yoga part of their daily routine, noting that in today’s fast-paced lifestyle many young people experience fatigue and mental stress, and yoga can serve as the best solution.
Dhami said the state government has implemented the Yoga Policy 2025 and is establishing 50-bed and 10-bed AYUSH hospitals in every district.
The seven-day festival, organized jointly by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, has been promoting yoga globally for over 35 years.
The event includes yoga sessions, pranayama, meditation, Ayurveda, naturopathy workshops, spiritual discourses, Run for Yoga, heritage walks and an international yoga conference.
Dhami also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the celebration of International Day of Yoga on June 21 at the United Nations in 2014, and today yoga is practiced in more than 180 countries worldwide.
He added that Rishikesh has gained global recognition as the “Yoga Capital of the World.”
More than 2,500 participants have registered for the festival this year, with support from over 150 yoga institutions.
