Kashi joins the 'Gangotri to Gangasagar' yoga countdown to International Yoga Day

With International Day of Yoga approaching on June 21, Varanasi has taken its place in a river-long celebration of yoga and wellbeing. On June 17, a yoga awareness drive was held at Ravidas Ghat as part of the "Gangotri to Gangasagar" campaign - an eight-day countdown to the 12th International Day of Yoga that follows the 2,525-km course of the Ganga. Organised by the Ministry of AYUSH along with the National AYUSH Mission and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, the campaign carries Common Yoga Protocol sessions to eight iconic cities and ghats along the river, from its Himalayan source to the sea. This year's theme, "Yoga for Healthy Ageing," puts the focus on simple daily practice as a path to staying well into later life. At the Kashi leg, students, yoga practitioners and local residents gathered on the ghat for guided sessions, with officials noting the warm public response. For a city that greets each dawn with prayer and breath beside the Ganga, the event is a natural fit - and a gentle nudge to roll out the mat as June 21 nears. Free community yoga sessions are a familiar sight across Varanasi's ghats around Yoga Day, welcoming first-timers and regulars alike.

Compiled by HelloBanaras from public sources: New Kerala