Chicago IL: The Consulate General of India in Chicago in collaboration with nearly two dozen participating organizations celebrated the First International Day of Yoga (IDY) on Sunday, June 21st 2015 at the Odeum Expo Center, 1033 Villa Avenue, North Park, IL from 10:00 AM to 05:00PM.
Dr. Najma Heptulla, Honâ€™ble Union Minister of Minority Affairs inaugurated the event by lighting of the lamp in a traditional Indian manner. Swami Ishatmanandji, President of Vivekanand Vedanta Society was the keynote speaker on the occasion. State Senator Michael Noland, Illinois State Representative Mrs. Christine Winger, Mayor of Burr Ridge Village Mr. Mickey Straub, Mayor of Oakbrook Village Dr. Gopal Lalmalani, the Democrat Congressional candidate for Illinoisâ€™s 8th District Mr. Raja Krishnamoorthy, Cook county Board of Commissioner and Chairman Mr. Tim Schneider and Trustee of Schaumburg Township, Mr. Nimish Jani participated in the inaugural ceremony of the First International Day of Yoga, along with Mr. Matthew Abbott, outreach coordinator of Senator Mark Kirk and Mr. Dennis Jung, Outreach coordinator of Governor Bruce Rauner.

The Consul General, Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, extended warm welcome and greetings to all the participants on the occasion of the First International Yoga Day celebrations in Chicagoland. In his remarks the Consul General traced the history of Yoga and gave a background of the adoption of an India-led Resolution by the United National General Assembly (UNGA) on December 11, 2014 declaring June 21 as the â€œInternational Day of Yogaâ€. The Consul General described Yoga is an invaluable gift of India to the world and said that Yoga pre-dates any religion in the forms as we know today.

Honâ€™ble Minister, Dr. Najma Heptulla thanked all the dignitaries, participating organizations, the Consulate & the people of Chicago for celebrating the First International Day of Yoga in Chicago for peace & harmony.

State Senator Michael Noland appreciated the effort made by India in declaring 21st June as International Day of Yoga for peace & harmony. Honâ€™ble Mayor of Village of Oakbrook, Dr. Gopal Lalmalani and Mayor of Village of Burr Ridge, Mr. Mickey Straub underlined the importance of yoga in day to days life & appreciated the Government of India for leading the issue at international level. Mr. Nimish Jani, Trustee of Schaumburg Township and Outreach coordinator of Governorâ€™s office, Mr. Dennis Jung, jointly read out the Proclamation wherein Honâ€™ble Bruce Rauner, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaimed June 21, 2015 asINTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY in Illinois, for the cultural significance of yoga and to raise awareness of the health benefits of yoga. Mrs. Beena Patel read out the message of the Cook County Clerk Mrs Dorothy Brown in which she congratulated the Indian-American community for the IYD celebrations. To support yoga, the Cook County Clerkâ€™s office started conducting classes on Yoga from â€œAkhu Ausarâ€ for health benefits of their employees since May, 2015.

Honâ€™ble Minister, Dr. Najma Heptulla, all the dignitaries and representatives of the participating organizations also released the commemorative souvenir on the occasion. Thereafter, the dignitaries inaugurated the special Book and Photo exhibitions on yoga organized by the Consulate at the Odeum Expo center. All the dignitaries took a round of the booths of participating organizations & all venues wherein parallel yoga related activities were organized.

Besides Chicago, the First International Day of Yoga was celebrated in Carmel in Indiana and Madison in Wisconsin.

Chicagoland and the Mid-West celebrate Yoga day