The International Day of Yoga (IDY) is celebrated worldwide on 21 June annually. Croatia was one of the 177 countries that collectively supported the Indian Resolution for the designation of IDY at the United Nations in 2014, and we remain thankful for the support extended by the Croatian Government.
Last year, the Indian Embassy organised the IDY on 19 June 2016 in Jelacic Square in Zagreb and 13 other select cities of Croatia. Footage from these events was part of the global telecast of Yoga events throughout the world.
For 2017, The Indian Embassy will be organising the IDY on an even bigger scale from 18-25 June 2017 in 23 cities across Croatia viz. Zagreb, Split, Pula, Zadar, Osijek, Rijeka, Varazdin, Dubrovnik, Sibenik, Cakovec, Karlovac, Vukovar, Iz, Novigrad, Bjelovar, Makarska, Baska, Zapresic, Korcula, Lepoglava, Hvar, Virovitica, Koprivnica. In capital Zagreb itself, the event will be staged on Sunday, 18 June 2017 from 09h30 to 12h00 in the prominent King Tomislav Square in the City Centre. All events are expected to have the participation of top level dignitaries, Members of Parliament, diplomatic community and a cross section of Croatian Society. This will be in conformity with the large scale organisation of IDY in other European cities and the rest of the world.
The IDY events are being staged in partnership with the City Administrations, Tourist Boards, Yoga in Daily Life, Yoga Federation of Croatia, Art of Living, ISKCON, Medical Yoga Centre and other Yoga Associations. We are sincerely thankful for the sponsorship of Zagreb Tourist Board, in particular.
The programme for IDY 2017 will include the practice of Protocol of Yoga Asanas by all participants under the guidance of experienced Yoga practitioners, followed by lecture-demonstrations by different Yoga Associations. Allied events will be conducted over the whole week comprising of free Yoga classes in all the cities, talks on specific Yoga themes and screening of documentaries. Some interesting side events will be Painting of Yoga in Schools (14 June 2017), 1st Croatian Yoga Congress (17 June 2017), Remetinec Prison Yoga Programme (19 June 2017), Yoga Challenge (21 June 2017), Yoga with Police (21 June 2017), Yoga is Music (23 June 2017).
It will be appreciated that Yoga is much more than a physical exercise. Its practice and philosophy enable us to access a new dimension of the self, even while providing a holistic approach to health and well-being. Yoga inculcates a sense of internal discipline, helps us to restore our balance and furnishes us with a much needed sense of clarity. Through its unifying power, we seek completeness and oneness with the world.
The IDY events in all cities are open to the public. The Indian Embassy invites people from all walks of life to be part of the extraordinary journey that we have embarked upon in quest for global peace, harmony and happiness. This being the tourist season, we also expect to attract a lot of tourists, and showcase Croatia as a truly multi-cultural and multi-dimensional country. Global publicity will be given to the event.
Comfortable exercise clothing is recommended for the IDY events.
