Brimming with excitement and energy, thousands of people from across the globe came together on various platforms to mark the third International Day of Yoga. Three years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had persuaded the United Nations to declare June 21 as International Yoga Day.

While several countries including South Africa, France, Japan, Belgium, USA and others, made elaborate week-long arrangements in the run up to the third world yoga day, the streets in India wore a festive look on Wednesday as old and young, dressed in colourful attire, pulled and stretched to perform various asanas.

DC takes a pose to welcome India's Karma Yogi Prime Minister @narendramodi a week from now @PMOIndia @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/m88f4oAHwe — India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) June 17, 2017

#yogaday #IDY2017 glimpses of celebrations in the city of Tournout in Belgium pic.twitter.com/GE0JMv9skG — India in Belgium (@IndEmbassyBru) June 18, 2017

In the run up to the 3rd International Day of Yoga. Pictures feature Ms. Priyanka Yoshikawa, Miss World Japan 2016. #IDY2017 #YogaDay pic.twitter.com/zke3DIrcTx — India in Japanインド大使館 (@IndianEmbTokyo) June 19, 2017

In India, celebrations began at dawn on Wednesday. Everyone, from politicians, Bollywood celebrities, athletes, sports personalities to yoga enthusiasts, children and the elderly, came out to observe the day and perform yogic exercises.

Here are some glimpses of how the who's who in India marked International Yoga Day.

Leading everyone from the front was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who performed several yogic exercises at an event organised in Lucknow.

Here are some more photos from Lucknow. #YogaDay2017 pic.twitter.com/H9OMo5d046 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2017

"Inhale positivity n exhale negativity. Happy international yoga day...with my fav yogini @anshukayoga #IDYwithReebok (sic)," wrote actress Malaika Arora Khan on Instagram. She posted a photo on the image-sharing app, wherein she can be seen performing a tough yoga pose with her trainer with absolute ease. Earlier in the day, the actress participated at an event in Mumbai, organised for International Yoga Day.

A post shared by Malaika Arora Khan (@malaikaarorakhanofficial) on Jun 20, 2017 at 10:50pm PDT

Mumbai: Actress Malaika Arora participates in a yoga session, to mark the 3rd International Yoga Day 2017 at Marine Drive, Mumbai. (Image: Yogen Shah)

Actor Arbaaz Khan too attended an event organised in Mumbai to mark World Yoga Day, where he can be seen performing pranayam. BJP leader Shaina NC was also snapped along with the actor at the event.

(Actor Arbaaz Khan participates in a yoga session, to mark the 3rd International Yoga Day 2017 at Marine Drive, Mumbai. (Image: Yogen Shah)

Actor and fitness enthusiast Shilpa Shetty Kundra, who is also a keen follower of yoga and is known to propagate the traditional practice among youth through her instructional fitness DVDs, posted a video on Instagram, to mark International Yoga Day. The actress can be seen performing Bakasana with absolute grace and brilliance.

Bakasana, It's taken a lot of practice and so happy it's finally happened..Yippie , Happy World Yoga day all. The harder the struggle the more glorious the triumph 😬🙏Never give up #WorldYogaDay #swastrahomastraho #TheArtOfBalance A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Jun 20, 2017 at 8:26pm PDT

Bollywood queen Kangana Ranaut too took the opportunity to show off some great yoga postures that she has mastered.

#KanganaRanaut wishes all the practitioners of yoga a Happy #InternationalYogaDay! pic.twitter.com/MLygfD3hEm — Team Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaFanClub) June 21, 2017

#KanganaRanaut with her yoga guru, Surya Narayan Singh. She has been learning yoga from him since past 10 years! #InternationalYogaDay pic.twitter.com/QwswQOOv55 — Team Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaFanClub) June 21, 2017

"Yoga is like Life - It's a beautiful balance of Holding On & Letting Go It's magical Keep practicing, we are all work in progress. Happy #internationalyogaday 🙏 #loveyourself #yogimonkey (sic)," wrote actress Bipasha Basu alongside a photo that she posted on Instagram. Both, Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha are seen performing some really tough yogic poses in the photos that she shared on the social media platform.

A post shared by bipashabasusinghgrover (@bipashabasu) on Jun 20, 2017 at 9:39pm PDT

Inhale Love ... Exhale Hate! #loveyourself #yogimonkey #internationalyogaday A post shared by bipashabasusinghgrover (@bipashabasu) on Jun 20, 2017 at 10:02pm PDT

Cricketer Ishant Sharma too shared a photo on Instagram, performing yoga with his friends which had the word 'Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in', written on it.

#internationalyogaday #fitness #cricket #yoga #training A post shared by Ishant.sharma (@ishant.sharma29) on Jun 20, 2017 at 7:33pm PDT

And while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended an event in capital New Delhi to observe the International Yoga Day, other political leaders including BJP President Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, M Venkaiah Naidu, Prakash Javadekar, Madhya pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and others too participated in yoga sessions across the country.

Thanks to PM Modi, Yoga is now an international art; it's neither political nor religious. It brings peace, good health & unity #Yogaday2017 pic.twitter.com/wa0ZBcMg36 — M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) June 21, 2017

On 3rd #InternationalYogaDay I and Manipur CM @NBirenSingh performed #Yoga along with about 1500 people including State Ministers in Imphal pic.twitter.com/kthZXxml6a — Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) June 21, 2017

(With input from PTI)