“Little Yogi” steals hearts as India celebrates 11th International Yoga Day with record-breaking zeal

The adorable pose of a little yogi steals the spotlight as India marks the 11th International Yoga Day with record-breaking participation and global enthusiasm

New Delhi: In a moment that’s melting hearts across the internet, a little boy dressed in a white T-shirt and black shorts has become the unexpected star of the 11th International Day of Yoga. Bending forward with perfect focus, tiny hands clutching his ankles, bald head nearly touching the mat, this toddler’s yoga pose is winning love and laughter in equal measure.

Shared by the Ministry of Ayush with the caption “A little yogi in the making!”, the image quickly went viral, symbolizing the spirit of starting young, staying strong, and embracing yoga as a lifelong journey.

But while this little yogi stole the show, the scale of Yoga Day celebrations in India this year was nothing short of historic.

Also read: International Yoga Day 2025: Millions Unite Worldwide to Celebrate Health, Harmony, and Heritage

Yoga’s Global Stage, Rooted in India

First proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN General Assembly in 2014, International Yoga Day has been celebrated every year on June 21, the longest day of the year, symbolizing light, energy, and harmony. What started as a mass gathering of nearly 36,000 people in New Delhi in 2015, setting two Guinness World Records, has grown into a global wellness movement.

2025: India’s Largest-Ever Yoga Day Celebration

• This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” emphasized the link between individual well-being and planetary health. And India made sure to set an example.
• Over 2 crore people registered on the Yoga Sangam Portal to participate at more than 1 lakh locations across the country.
• In Visakhapatnam, Prime Minister Modi led a session of the Common Yoga Protocol with over 3 lakh participants, reportedly setting a new Guinness World Record.
• In Kurukshetra, yoga guru Swami Ramdev led an assembly of 1 lakh people, while Lucknow University aimed for another record with 51,000 students and faculty performing yoga in unison.
• Andhra Pradesh saw extraordinary participation, including 25,000 tribal children performing 108 Surya Namaskars.

Yet, amid the mass participation and world records, it is the image of this one little boy that has captured the essence of the day, reminding us that yoga is as much about simplicity as it is about scale.