Watch: Chaos erupts over free yoga mats at Vizag event

What was meant to be a serene celebration of yoga, health, harmony turned into an unexpected scramble, as chaotic scenes of people stealing yoga mats emerged from the International Yoga Day event held at RK Beach, Visakhapatnam on June 21.

A video, now viral on social media and YouTube, shows a crowd of attendees rushing toward stacks of yoga mats laid out for distribution after the event. People are seen grabbing multiple mats and running, with some pushing and jostling in a frenzy that resembled a marketplace stampede and mass shoplifting.

Watch the video here:

The incident unfolded shortly after the main yoga session which concluded at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam.

As volunteers began preparing to distribute the complimentary yoga mats, the crowd surged forward in anticipation. Very quickly, the distribution spiraled into disorder, with many participants grabbing multiple mats, possibly for personal use or perhaps with resale in mind.

The situation quickly escalated, and volunteers were overwhelmed by the crowd's sudden aggression. Footage from the scene shows people sprinting, pushing, and hoarding mats, ignoring pleas for order.

The video sparked a wave of reactions online, with sharp criticism and widespread mockery of the behavior.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) commented, “This is not Bihar, this is Vizag!” a tongue-in-cheek retort aimed at distinguishing this fresh footage from an older, similar incident in Haryana that had gone viral in 2019.

Fact-checkers have since verified that the clip indeed pertains to the 2025 International Yoga Day event in Visakhapatnam and is not linked to any previous occurrences.

International Yoga Day is celebrated globally as a symbol of inner peace, harmony, and discipline. However, the chaos at Vizag's event has exposed a glaring lack of crowd control and absence of civic sense.

The incident has led to public backlash against the organizers for poor planning, particularly in managing the distribution of free yoga mats, a routine gesture, which unexpectedly turned into a flashpoint.

In the aftermath of the viral incident, local authorities and event organizers are expected to conduct a thorough review of planning and on-ground execution. Moving forward, greater emphasis is likely to be placed on controlled distribution of giveaways, clearer communication to participants, and stronger deployment of volunteers and security personnel.

As India continues to champion yoga on the international stage, events like this serve as a reminder that the discipline extends beyond physical postures and that civic responsibility, respect for public order, and community conduct are equally important to uphold the spirit of yoga.