Mysuru, known as the yoga capital of the world, is gearing up for the 12th International Yoga Day, which will be celebrated with the theme of ‘Yoga for healthy aging’ this Sunday. The district administration and yoga organisations will host mass yoga sessions at the Palace grounds and 120 locations across the city, with more than 1.2 lakh participants expected to join. As many as 8000 people will perform mass yoga at Mysuru Palace premises, at an event organised by the Mysuru district administration and Department of Ayush in association with yoga institutes.
District Ayush Officer, Dr C Renukadevi, informed that the session near the Palace will be held from 6am to 8am. Dasoha Bhavan of Chamundi Hill will provide breakfast for 6000 people, and participants are required to bring their own yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes. Besides yoga enthusiasts, students of government schools, colleges, hostels of social welfare, minority and backward class departments, Ayurvedic Medical Institutes, scouts, guides, NSS, NCC cadets, and special kids from AIISH and visually challenged kids will also participate. A mass yoga session was held at Palace premises on May 31, at Ramakrishna VidyaShala on June 7, and at Ganapathi Sachidananda Ashram on June 14, as a prelude to the main event.
D Srihari, leader of the Yoga Federation of Mysuru, stated that there are more than 700 small and big yoga institutes or schools and more than 1000 yoga instructors in Mysuru, with at least 200 foreigners learning yoga in the city. The annual International Yoga event at Mysuru Palace premises is restricted to about 10,000 people, and to expand participation, the Yoga Federation of Mysore has taken the initiative to host mass yoga sessions via 120 organisations at 120 different locations, including private schools, colleges, apartments, industries, religious places, and marriage halls. All 35 institutions of JSS Mahavidyapeeta, all institutions of Adi Chunchangiri Mutt, and other institutions are hosting these sessions. Mysuru previously entered the Guinness book of world records for the largest yoga lesson in a single venue, with 55,506 participants in 2017, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the yoga day event held at Mysuru Palace premises in 2022.