Created: 2026.06.20. 20:22
Széchenyi István University, the Embassy of India in Hungary, and the Amrita Sher-Gil Indian Cultural Centre organised a celebratory programme for the International Day of Yoga. The event, held on the Győr campus, welcomed Hungarian and international students of the University, as well as residents of the region, to participate in a free communal yoga session.
Maintaining close relations with India, the birthplace of yoga, is of great importance to Széchenyi István University. Excellent examples of this cooperation include the dual-degree programme in international business and management operated jointly with Integral University, as well as the University’s Paneer restaurant, which also offers Indian cuisine. In addition, the institution traditionally celebrates 21 June, which was proclaimed the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, drawing attention to the positive effects of yoga on physical and mental well-being.
At the event organised in cooperation with the Embassy of India in Hungary and the Amrita Sher-Gil Indian Cultural Centre, Dr Mukesh Kumar Srivastava, Director of the Cultural Centre, welcomed the participants. “It is a tremendous honour to stand here for the second time, thanks to this excellent University. This year we are celebrating the 12th International Day of Yoga, centred around a global value that unites body, mind and soul. Yoga is India’s gift to the world – thank you for supporting our initiative here in Győr as well,” he emphasised.
Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University, and Dr Mukesh Kumar Srivastava, Director of the Amrita Sher-Gil Indian Cultural Centre, at the opening of the event (Photo: András Adorján)
In her welcome address, Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University and a practitioner of the Yoga in Daily Life system, said it was an honour for the University in Győr to host the celebration of this international day. “The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 June the International Day of Yoga in 2014, following an initiative by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The chosen date carries special significance: it is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, which holds deep spiritual meaning in Indian tradition. The years since have shown that this initiative has truly become a global movement. Today, yoga is not only India’s invaluable cultural heritage, but also a universal value that helps millions of people find physical, mental and spiritual balance,” she stated. She added that the global character of yoga is particularly important for the Széchenyi community, as the International Day of Yoga celebration was attended by numerous international students from countries including China, Nigeria and Türkiye.
She also highlighted that the central theme of this year’s International Day of Yoga is healthy and active ageing. “Regular yoga practice contributes to maintaining mobility, supports physical and mental health, helps prevent disease, and improves quality of life,” she said. She stressed that, through the development of the MedTech Health Technology Campus, support for elderly care and healthy ageing receives special attention at Széchenyi István University, and that there are numerous links to the field from both educational and research perspectives. “Examples include the social care policy programme of our Apáczai Csere János Faculty of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, the nursing and patient care programme of our Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, as well as our diverse activities in the field of health promotion,” she explained.
The event held at Széchenyi István University attracted not only Hungarian and international members of the institution, but also residents of the wider region (Photo: András Adorján)
During the programme, participants had the opportunity to attend a relaxation session led by Katalin Kókai, a Győr-based instructor of Yoga in Daily Life, and to experience yoga through a community practice led by the Indian Cultural Centre’s yoga instructors, Aravinda Kollipara and Manoj Kumar.
At the Győr celebration of the International Day of Yoga, instructors from the Amrita Sher-Gil Indian Cultural Centre led a communal yoga practice for participants (Photo: András Adorján)
