
Visakhapatnam sets world record on International Yoga Day: 3.02 lakh people perform yoga along 28km beach stretch; PM Narendra Modi leads historic event
VISAKHAPATNAM: The coastal city made history by setting a world record with a massive participation of 302,000 people performing yoga along the beach stretch, in the presence of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on International Yoga Day, Saturday.
The port city aimed for a turnout of 326,000 to establish a new Guinness World Record for the largest yoga gathering in one place, exceeding the previous record in Surat, Gujarat, by 147,000 participants.
Notably, 22,122 tribal students from Alluri Sitarama Raju district had previously set a record for the largest synchronized performance of Suryanamaskar at a single location.
The gathering on the beach stretch spanned about 28 kilometers from Kalimata Temple to Bheemili and began even before sunrise.
Fortunately, the weather was kind, with not a single drop of rain falling in the morning. People of all ages participated, supported by a QR code tracking system that recorded 302,087 attendees. With all necessary precautions in place, the authorities ensured that there were no untoward incidents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Union Ministers Prataprao Jadhav, Rammohan Naidu, Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, Srinivasa Varma, State BJP President D.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
임플란트 29만원 이벤트
임플란트
더 알아보기
Undo
Purandeswari, State Minister Nara Lokesh, and other officials participated in the yoga session alongside the public.
Meanwhile, Indian Navy personnel performed yoga on the decks of warships along the coast.
All 326 designated areas were filled with enthusiastic participants who began arriving early in the morning. Over 10,000 vehicles transported people from various locations.
Despite some traffic congestion at various junctions, the event proceeded peacefully and successfully, supported by more than 10,000 security personnel and an additional 6,000 government staff from various departments who worked diligently for the past month.
While the state government anticipated a turnout of 20 million participants statewide, registrations reached 24.5 million. In total, 217 million people participated in various locations across Andhra Pradesh.
Initially, the government planned to issue 2.5 million certificates to participants who underwent three days to one week of training. However, they later revised this estimate to identify 18 million eligible individuals for certificates.
All 26 districts in the state organized different theme-based yoga events, and around 101 tourist destinations celebrated Yoga Day.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
22 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Mango farmers protest against low procurement prices offered by pulp industries in Chittoor
Mango farmers in the Chittoor district took to a protest demanding the State-mandated minimum support price (MSP) of ₹12 per kg for the Totapuri variety of mangoes, on Saturday. The protest, spearheaded by the Rythu Sangham and the Mango Growers' Welfare Association, was held in front of the District Collectorate here on the International Yoga Day, in a bid to draw the attention of the district administration to low procurement prices offered by pulp industries. Though the farmers gathered at the venue and were about to perform yoga with banners reading 'Mango Farmers' Yoga Day' as a mark of protest, some senior officials persuaded them to withdraw their move. Following this, the farmers limited the protest by holding their banners to display their dissent. A senior official said that several farmers who gathered for the protest were elderly and not accustomed to the yoga practice. 'Performing yoga postures without a proper dress code at a public venue, that too without prior practice, would be unpleasant. Hence, we pursued with the organisers to drop the idea,' he said. Later, appealing to District Collector Sumit Kumar, the farmers deplored that several pulp units were paying only ₹6 per kg, and some ramp operators a mere ₹3 per kg, despite the government's instructions to provide ₹8 per kg. They said that the officials had failed to enforce price regulations, which allowed the exploitation of farmers by the pulp units and middlemen. Responding to the protest, the Collector invited the farmers to his chamber and held discussions on the issue. He assured them that action would be taken against pulp units violating the norms. He added that the price details would be mandatorily included in the slips at the crushing units.


Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Iran's Supreme era coming to end? Ayatollah Ali Khamenei names successors; son's name missing
Staring at an uncertain future, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly named three senior clerics as potential successors marking an unprecedented move since the Iran-Israel war began, suggesting that he is preparing for the end of his more than three-decade rule. According to a New York Times report, Khamenei's son Mojtaba, who is also a cleric, has not been named in the list of successors. Iran's former hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, was once seen as a leading contender to succeed Ayatollah Khamenei, but his prospects ended with his death in a helicopter crash in 2024. Moreover, the report, citing Iranian officials, said that Khomenei has retreated to a secure underground bunker, suspending all electronic communications and relying solely on a trusted aide to relay messages to military commanders. These emergency protocols reflect a deep concern over assassination threats, particularly following the deaths of several high-ranking IRGC officials in recent Israeli attacks. Move to end dynastic succession? Long viewed as a shadowy figure with considerable influence behind the scenes, and often speculated to be groomed for leadership, Mojtaba's omission signals a deliberate move to reject dynastic succession. This may be an attempt to preserve the Islamic Republic's legitimacy by upholding its religious and institutional foundations rather than allowing power to pass within a family line. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo By naming successors and reshuffling key positions within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khamenei appears to be laying the groundwork for continuity in case of further instability or even his own sudden demise. It is a rare acknowledgment of the fragility now surrounding Iran's top leadership, as the country grapples with both external military threats and internal questions about its political future. US, Israel signal Khomenei not untouchable Khomenei's apprehensions aren't delusional. US and Israel have, at several moments in the past week, made it clear that the two would consider targeting the Supreme Leader. Even though the United States has not officially entered the Iran-Israel crisis, Donald Trump has made his contempt towards Khamenei crystal clear after he issued a stark warning to the Supreme Leader saying that the States wouldn't "kill" him, "at least not for now". "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," he had said earlier this week. Trump has also demanded an unconditional surrender. This was followed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's warning that the nation wasn't ruling out targeting Khomenei. Speaking to ABC news, when asked if Israel would target the Supreme Leader, Netanyahu said "doing what we need to do." Meanwhile, Khomenei has not directly responded to these threats, but has made it clear that Iran would not "submit to anyone's attacks".


The Hindu
28 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Saffron flag should replace Tricolour: BJP leader
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive member N. Sivarajan kicked up a controversy by demanding that the party's saffron flag be made Indian national flag in place of the Tricolour. Mr. Sivarajan made the controversial remarks at a protest organised by the BJP in connection with the Bharat Mata issue here on Saturday. He said that the Congress should use green flag and its national president Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, whom he said were ignorant of Indian history, should use the Italian flag. Mr. Sivarajan said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] could use the green and white flag, and the saffron flag of the BJP should be made the Indian flag. Targets Sivankutty The BJP leader also targeted General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, derisively calling him 'Savamkutty.' He also demanded that political parties be banned from using flags similar to the national flag. Mr. Sivarajan, who is currently a municipal councillor of the BJP, made floral tributes to a photo of Bharat Mata holding the saffron flag at Fort Maidan here. The Congress took out a protest against the BJP leader for insulting the national flag. The Congress demanded that sedition charges be slapped on Mr. Sivarajan for insulting the Tricolour. District Congress Committee president A. Thankappan inaugurated the protest. Files plaint Congress district vice-president Sumesh Achuthan filed a complaint to the District Police Chief seeking stringent action against Mr. Sivarajan for insulting the national flag under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971. BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan, however, refused to respond to Mr. Sivarajan's comments about the national flag.