New Delhi, Jun 19 (IANS): Heartfulness Institute on Friday said it has partnered with the Ministry of AYUSH and the United Nations Department of Public Information to host a global yogathon, that includes a call to make compassion contagious.

This event will showcase the need for compassion and will inspire people how to live a life of compassion.

The transformative powers of compassion have been chronicled extensively in all the great world scriptures.

"Compassion is contagious and can transmit faster than any virus, while making us stronger. International Day of Yoga is a very apt platform to spread the message of compassion, and celebrities from all walks of life have readily agreed to lend their voice to this cause," Kamlesh Patel (Daaji), Guide of Heartfulness, said in a statement.

"This international yogathon will help bring consciousness to the need for more elevated acts of compassion, allowing all our lives to be more peaceful and meaningful."

Besides Daaji, yoga guru Baba Ramdev; Union Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) Shripad Naik and Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Prabhu are among those who will participate in the yogathon.

United Nations Information Centre India Officer-in-Charge, Rajeev Chandran; musicians Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shankar Mahadevan; wellness experts Shaina NC and Mickey Mehta; sports stars PV Sindhu, VVS Laxman, Navdeep Saini; actors Omi Vaidya, Sudhanshu Pandey, and others will also take part at the event.

The event will go live on June 20 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time in the US and on June 21 at 7 am in India.

"The tradition of yoga is time immemorial and is another contribution to the heritage of the world, a fact that should make all Indians proud wherever there are," the AYUSH Minister said.

"It is our responsibility to nurture and share the benefit of this phenomenal practice so that the future generations are also able to enjoy this gift to mankind."

June 21 is marked as the International Day of Yoga.