ANKARA 

The Indian Embassy in Turkey will mark the International Day of Yoga (IDY) of June 21 in the capital Ankara on Sunday, the mission announced Thursday.

"In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to maintain social distancing, Embassy of India will be celebrating IDY-2020 on limited scale within the embassy premises, which will be live streamed through social media such as Facebook, Youtube, Instagram or Twitter Live to encourage all yoga enthusiasts to participate in the celebrations from their homes and practice Yoga," said a written statement by the embassy.

Noting that Yoga was originated in India, the statement said Yoga is known to improve breathing, energy, and vitality in human body, as well as enhance spiritual and mental health of the person.

"In the era of COVID-19 pandemic where it is very important to stay alert, healthy and mentally fit, adopting Yoga as a way of life helps fight this pandemic."

As a "warm up" prior to the event, the embassy also organized a number of events such as Yoga video blogging contest and Yoga quiz, with details published on the mission's website and social media accounts.

On Dec.11, 2014, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, which has been celebrated annually since 2015. The decision was co-sponsored by 177 countries, including Turkey.

The day aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

Since originating in China last December, the pandemic has claimed over 450,000 lives in 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil and Russia are currently the world’s worst-hit countries.

Nearly 8.4 million cases have been reported worldwide, while more than 4.1 million patients have recovered so far, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.