“From Kerala to the United Nations: The Quiet Force Behind International Yoga Day”, Indica Today, June 21, 2026
“The man who helped carry yoga from India’s ancient tradition to the floor of the United Nations does not live behind ceremony or spectacle. He lives simply — and it is in that simplicity that his presence speaks most powerfully.
Dileep Kumar Thangappan — known to the world as Yogi Dileep or simply Guruji — is the quiet force behind one of modern India’s most visible global contributions: the United Nations’ International Day of Yoga, observed every year on June 21. From a childhood shaped by interfaith love and community care in Kerala, to decades of teaching across New York gyms, Himalayan caves, cathedral halls and UN platforms, his journey embodies a rare blend of grassroots perseverance and universal spirituality.
This conversation took place at Dileepji’s residence, Yogabhavan, in Kochi—a space that feels less like a private home and more like a natural extension of his life’s work. On the appointed day, he welcomed me into his sprawling first-floor drawing room, a calm, sunlit expanse where light streamed freely through several windows. With gentle warmth, he invited me to sit beside him on the sofa, offered light snacks and a refreshing glass of lemon juice, and began speaking not as a distant spiritual figure, but as a deeply attentive, simple human being…….”
Read full article at indica.today
