Addressing to some 30,000 people, gathered to perform Yoga on International Yoga Day at Chandigarh on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi said that yoga is not a religious activity and people must embrace it for better mental and physical health.

“It is probably the first time that a day has become a mass movement,” PM said.

Thousand of people celebrated the second international yoga day by performing various postures of the ancient discipline across the country.

Visit: International Day Of Yoga Arizona

While responding to people who says yoga is a part of Hinduism PM Modi said, “Yoga is not a religious activity. Many people do not understand yoga completely. It is what you will get from yoga but what is important is what you will give to yoga and what all (ailments) will it rid you off. It helps in getting mukti (salvation) from health issues.”

Yoga was for believers and non-believers, and there was no need to create any controversy over it. PM Modi has also announced two awards for promoting yoga at the international and national levels from the next year.

Make the practice of Yoga an integral part of your life-President Pranab Mukherjee #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/AY4NqqXXu1

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

More pictures of 2nd International Yoga Day Celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan pic.twitter.com/PDFGnPXE5T

— President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) June 21, 2016

WATCH: PM Narendra Modi doing Yoga in Chandigarh #YogaDayhttps://t.co/efar5Dim3b

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Yoga is not just about what one will get, it is about what one can give up: PM Modi #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/5FBSGi15Od

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

The whole world supported the resolution on #YogaDay . We got support from all sections of society:PM pic.twitter.com/Phk03zHhls

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

The United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as International Yoga Day and 191 countries including 40 Islamic countries have supported the decision to have a special day for yoga.

Also Read: India Prepares For The Second International Yoga Day Along With The Whole World

PM Modi said, “Among all days marked by the UN, not day has equaled the mass movement the International Yoga Day has become. It has become the biggest mass movement world wide.”

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar does Yoga in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/W38oUyzj9g

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Locals take part in a Yoga camp in Srinagar #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/IxrGbdOXR8

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad does Yoga in Patna #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/egIddKAMDX

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Navy personnel do Yoga onboard aircraft carrier INS Viraat #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/C34ZJ7qxAM

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Union Railway Minster Suresh Prabhu do Yoga in Vijayawada #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/3C5OG8HnVk

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

UP: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar does Yoga in Kanpur #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/hoJVdkaOdM

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 21, 2016

Chhattisgarh: CM Raman Singh, Union Minister Piyush Goyal & MoS HRD Ram Shankar Katheria do Yoga in Raipur #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/Dw3WdMWcdn

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari doing Yoga in Nagpur #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/pCXrJ337Kl

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

BJP Chief Amit Shah and Baba Ramdev do Yoga in Faridabad #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/SbBaEKvgbt

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

Among the 96,000 people who had registered for the event, 30,000 had been picked including 10,000 from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana.

Security arrangements were at its peak during the event as 7,000 security personnel, including 4,000 paramilitary jawans and 3,000 officers were protecting the area.

Specially abled students do Yoga in Delhi #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/65BeCnWb8t

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

PM Narendra Modi meets specially abled participants at a Yoga camp in Chandigarh #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/ZwOt41DbsT

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 21, 2016

According to reports, the Union Territory Administration paring with AYUSH ministry spent around Rs. 14 crore on the event and four-day-yoga festival which has been organized at different parts of Chandigarh.

Read Also: Goa Preparing For International Yoga Day Celebration

By Prajakt K.