Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for the observance of an International Yoga Day has got a shot in the arm, with Sri Lanka offering its support in writing.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, addressing a press conference on Saturday said, “The leaders of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and all of them indicated their support for the Prime Minister’s proposal for an ‘International Yoga Day’. All three nations have said that they would support this initiative of designating a day in the United Nations as an International Yoga Day.”

“Sri Lanka was the first country to formally give in writing support for Prime Minister’s initiative on the International Day of Yoga,” he added.

Akbaruddin also said that Prime Minister Modi had thanked Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa for this prompt response to his proposal.

 Asserting that yoga is an invaluable gift that the Indian civilization has given the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at the UNGA on Saturday had suggested that the United Nations work towards the creation of an International Yoga Day and spoke of the benefits of yoga.

“Yoga embodies the unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; the harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature,” Prime Minister Modi had said. - ANI