The International Day of Yoga was born from an address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UN General Assembly in 2014. <\/p>\n
Within three months, on 11 December that year, 193 member states and 173 co-sponsor countries voted unanimously to enshrine 21 June as a global day to honour the ancient Indian discipline of yoga.<\/p>\n
Eleven years on, the vibrant city of Durban \u2014 framed by its Indian Ocean shoreline and legacy of civilisational convergence \u2014 hosted South Africa\u2019s official yoga day celebration on Saturday, 21 June 2025.<\/p>\n
A record turnout of more than 4 000 participants \u2014 1 000 more than the 10th<\/sup> edition in 2024 \u2014 painted a sea of serenity of men, women and children of culturally-diverse yogis and keep-fit enthusiasts, prompting the keynote speaker and chief guest, KZN\u2019s Premier Thami Ntuli to declare: \u201cThese huge crowds of participants augurs well for the future of yoga as India\u2019s gift to us. Yoga has become the new spirit of ubuntu for all our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n The Durban Amphitheatre, typically a weekend haunt for joggers and walkers, was transformed into a vibrant tapestry of yogis and enthusiasts paying homage to an art that had journeyed from Himalayan caves to nearly every corner of the globe.<\/p>\n Yoga\u2019s roots stretch back over 5 000 years, derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning \u201cto unite\u201d. It was a practice designed to synchronise body, mind and spirit \u2014 a concept that had begun to resonate globally across geographies, generations and social strata.<\/p>\n This global renaissance owed much to a constellation of modern Hindu spiritual leaders \u2014 not the ancient sages, but contemporary visionaries who globalised the discipline. Swami Vivekananda first introduced Raja Yoga to the West at the 1893 Parliament of the World\u2019s Religions in Chicago in the US. Later, Sri T Krishnamacharya, hailed as the \u201cFather of Modern Yoga\u201d, choreographed yoga\u2019s evolution into the accessible, postural discipline practised today.<\/p>\n In South Africa, Swami Sivananda\u2019s Divine Life Society, founded in Durban, played a unique role \u2014 not only in propagating Hatha Yoga but in uplifting black communities during apartheid\u2019s darkest decades. Carrying this legacy forward was Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu \u2014 philanthropist, cultural activist and adopted son of the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu. Through his Sivananda World Peace Foundation, Ramlutchman championed yoga as a tool for peace-building, wellness and social cohesion.<\/p>\n As a protege of Swami Sahajananda, Ramlutchman emerged as a key figure in yoga\u2019s African journey. Under his leadership, the yoga day celebration grew from a modest gathering to a 4 000-strong annual spectacle, making it one of Durban\u2019s most anticipated cultural highlights. This year\u2019s celebration unfolded just weeks after the city successfully hosted the Africa Travel Indaba, a four-day trade and tourism showcase that attracted over 9 000 delegates and injected more than R500 million into Durban\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n Durban Tourism\u2019s Winile Mntungwa noted that the indaba had generated R226 million in direct economic impacts. Phindile Makwakwa, COO of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, credited the province\u2019s rich cultural mosaic for positioning it as a premier destination. Lindiwe Rakharebe, CEO of the Durban ICC, added that hotel occupancies had exceeded 80%, signalling a \u201cpromising rebound\u201d.<\/p>\n Amid this climate of renewal and optimism, Ramlutchman affirmed that yoga\u2019s stronghold in Durban was no accident. \u201cThis city, with its cross-cultural DNA and demographic diversity, is the ideal ambassador for yoga\u2019s universal message of unity in diversity,\u201d he remarked in an address to attendees.<\/p>\n Among the dignitaries present were city councillor Bheki Mngwengwe, who echoed eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba\u2019s gratitude for the choice of the city for the annual showpiece and a constellation of political, cultural and diplomatic leaders \u2014 affirming that yoga had transcended its sacred roots to become a unifying civic tradition.<\/p>\n Premier Ntuli, delivering the keynote address for the second consecutive year, described yoga as a \u201ctransformative force that fosters inner peace and social harmony\u201d. He commended Ramlutchman and the foundation for extending yoga\u2019s reach into rural and historically underserved communities.<\/p>\n KZN legislative speaker Ntobeko Boyce echoed this sentiment, saying: \u201cYoga reminds us that healing begins within. The International Day of Yoga has become a cornerstone of our provincial calendar.\u201d<\/p>\n Messages of support poured in from across the leadership spectrum. In a heartfelt note, Zulu monarch King Misuzulu kaZwelithini acknowledged the foundation\u2019s enduring contribution to the well-being of his people. \u201cYoga will bring change to the lives of my people by fostering awareness, focus and wellness,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s Ministry of Health also weighed in, endorsing yoga as an invaluable tool for public health. \u201cYoga aligns with our mission to improve public health, reduce stress and encourage healthy living,\u201d the ministry noted in a statement. \u201cIt addresses both modern illnesses and emotional burdens.\u201d<\/p>\n Veteran MP Poobalan Les Govender, IFP deputy chair of the National Council of Provinces, described yoga as \u201ca discipline for self-discovery, growth and resilience\u201d, with the power to build inclusive communities grounded in emotional well-being.<\/p>\n Professor Anil Sooklal, South Africa\u2019s newly appointed High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh and Nepal, praised Durban\u2019s role in advancing cultural diplomacy. \u201cThis celebration is a milestone in South Africa-India cultural and people-to-people cooperation,\u201d he said from New Delhi.<\/p>\n Indeed, yoga\u2019s South African story is one of revival, resilience and reinvention \u2014 from the spiritual foothills of Rishikesh to the coastal breezes of eThekwini. As Durban hosted thousands beneath its crisp winter sun, the 2025 International Day of Yoga stood once again as a living reminder that in unity, there is healing, and in stillness, there is strength.<\/p>\n Yoga \u2013 India\u2019s timeless gift to the world \u2014 continues to inspire health, harmony and higher consciousness in a fast-paced post-modern era.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis year also marks the global unveiling of the Sivananda International initiative \u2014 a call to humanity to embrace yoga not as a trend, but as a timeless truth. Yoga is not merely a physical workout; it is a sacred way of life. In a world often consumed by noise and chaos, yoga grants us the rarest of gifts: inner stillness, clarity and peace,\u201d said Ramlutchman.<\/p>\n \u201cWith nearly 200 million practitioners worldwide \u2014 from every nation, every race and every faith \u2014 yoga has become a universal language of well-being. Over 20 million people in the United States alone have embraced this tradition, yet its soul resides in its birthplace, India \u2014 and it belongs to the world.<\/p>\n \u201cAs South Africans, as global citizens, let us walk together on this noble path. Let us build communities rooted in peace, humility, health and spiritual devotion. Let us foster a world where creed and colour no longer divide us, but unite us in shared breath and common purpose. <\/p>\n \u201cLet this International Day of Yoga be a beacon \u2014 a glorious opening for humanity to rediscover the power of oneness. When the world moves as one, there is no conflict, no injustice and no disparity \u2014 only unity in diversity,\u201d Ramlutchman said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a beautiful scene of a sea of people,\u201d he reminisced, adding: \u201cChildren, youth and elders practiced side by side. Healthcare workers, township-based wellness advocates, diplomats and yoga teachers moved to the same breath \u2014 and symbolised unity in diversity, echoing the values of our Constitution and our rainbow nation.\u201d<\/p>\n Marlan Padayachee is a seasoned former political, foreign and diplomatic correspondent in the transition from apartheid to democracy and is a freelance journalist, photographer and researcher.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The International Day of Yoga was born from an address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UN General Assembly in 2014. 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