Top Indian seer to lead Int'l Yoga Day celebrations in US; grand event at Times Square [details]

International Yoga Day is a global event, with many countries celebrating the day with enthusiasm and fervour. From the United States to Saudi Arabia and India of course, people participate in International Yoga Day celebrations, making the events a grand success. International Yoga Day has been celebrated in the US on June 21 every year since 2015 and this year's event is going to be grand one.

Noted Indian seer Acharya Swami Avdheshanand Giri will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations in the US. The Indian spiritual leader will attend a grand event organised in the heart of New York City, the Times Square. Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of Indian Consulate in New York, extended an invite to the seer for the event.

"It is my distinct pleasure to invite you as Guest of Honour at "The Solstice Yoga", the largest yoga festival in New York on the occasion of the 8th International Day of Yoga ....," Jaiswal said in an invitation to the seer of the Juna Akhara, based in Haridwar. "It would be an honour for us if you could join thousands of yoga enthusiasts from around the world and prominent members of the Indian American community of the dynamic and vibrant city of New York for the momentous celebrations of wholesome life at IDY 2022 "Yoga for Wellness"."

Yoga celebrations in the US

While Swami Avdheshanand Giri has amassed a huge following in India, he is extremely popular in the US as well. Swami Avdheshanand Giri will be on a week-long tour of North America next week, New York-based community leader Prem Bhandari said on Tuesday.

Prem Bhandari, who is also chairman of the non-profit organisation Jaipur Foot USA, will be overseeing the stay of the seer in the US. For this purpose, he has established a 21-member organising committee.

During his stay in the US, the seer will interact with the community members in New Jersey, Long Island, New York and then will go on to spend three days in Canada, Bhandari said.

There was a curtain raiser for the grand Times Square event at the National Mall over the past week, organised by the Indian Embassy. It is expected to be attended by thousands of yoga enthusiasts. Besides New York, International Yoga Day celebrations will be held across the US, including major cities such as Boston, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami.

There are over 36 million yoga practitioners in the US. In the last four years, the number of yoga practitioners has increased by more than 50 percent.