Ranchi, June 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the International Yoga Day 2019 celebrations from the Jharkhand capital, where a gathering of 30,000 people performed yoga along with him. Addressing the event, Modi underlined that Yoga is recommended for all sections of the society, cutting across religions, castes and regions.

"We all know the importance of Yoga very well. It has always been an important part of our culture. But now we all have to take the practice of Yoga to another level," Modi said, calling for research in the field of Yoga to widen its scope and applicability. Wish Happy Yoga Day With These GIF Greetings & WhatsApp Stickers

Reaching out to an international audience in English, the Indian PM said Yoga is more than essential now as its essence lies in peace, prosperity and harmony.

"Yoga has always been associated with peace and harmony. I thank people for adopting Yoga. I urge people to embrace it," Modi said the gathering at Prabhat Tara ground in Ranchi.

Saying "Yoga is beyond caste, religion, region and any boundaries", the Prime Minister added "there is a solution to alcoholism and diabetes in Yoga".

He stressed the need for research in Yoga so that the world could be updated about its benefits. He also expressed concern about the rising heart-related problems among the youth in the country.

"This year, Yoga's theme is heart care. There has been a manifold increase in the heart-related problems in the country, particularly among the young generation. Yoga should be adopted as preventive measure," he was further reported as saying by news agency IANS.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2019 08:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).