Mysuru: Known as the yoga capital of the world, Mysuru is preparing for the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21, with thousands of yoga enthusiasts expected to participate in mass yoga sessions across the city. This year’s celebrations will be held under the theme ‘Yoga for Healthy Aging’, with the district administration and Department of Ayush (DoA) planning large-scale events to promote the benefits of yoga among people of all age groups.
Around 8,000 participants are expected to perform yoga at the iconic Mysuru Palace premises during the main event organised by the district administration and the Department of Ayush in collaboration with various yoga institutions.
The city is also set to witness an unprecedented expansion of Yoga Day activities, with organisers planning simultaneous yoga sessions at 120 locations involving nearly 1.20 lakh participants.
Mass yoga session at Mysuru Palace
District Ayush Officer Dr C Renukadevi said the main programme at Mysuru Palace will be conducted from 6 am to 8 am on Saturday.
Participants have been advised to bring their own yoga mats and wear comfortable clothing suitable for yoga practice. Arrangements have also been made to provide breakfast to around 6,000 participants through the Dasoha Bhavan of Chamundi Hill.
The event will bring together yoga enthusiasts, students and representatives from various educational and social institutions. Participants will include students from government schools and colleges, hostels run by social welfare, minority welfare and backward classes departments, Ayurvedic medical institutions, Scouts and Guides, NSS volunteers and NCC cadets.
Special participation has also been planned for children from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) and visually challenged students.
Unlike previous years, no special KSRTC bus services have been arranged for the event, and participants have been requested to make their own travel arrangements.
Extensive awareness programmes held ahead of Yoga Day
To build momentum for the celebrations, the Department of Ayush has organised a series of pre-event yoga programmes across Mysuru.
A mass yoga session was conducted at the Mysuru Palace premises on May 31, followed by programmes at Ramakrishna Vidyashala on June 7 and Ganapathi Sachidananda Ashram on June 14.
Officials have also launched special three-day yoga sessions for prison inmates. In addition, online videos of the Common Yoga Protocol issued by the Ministry of Ayush, along with the Y-Break programme, have been shared with hostels and educational institutions to help participants prepare for the event.
The initiatives are aimed at encouraging greater public participation and spreading awareness about the health benefits of regular yoga practice.
1.20 lakh people to perform yoga at 120 locations
In a first for Mysuru, the Yoga Federation of Mysore, in association with the Department of Ayush and led by D Srihari, is coordinating yoga sessions at 120 different locations across the city.
Srihari said the initiative was launched to accommodate the growing number of yoga practitioners who were unable to participate in the centrally organised Palace event due to space limitations.
According to him, Mysuru is home to more than 700 yoga schools and institutions and over 1,000 yoga instructors. The city also attracts around 200 foreign nationals who come to learn yoga every year.
The 120 venues will include private schools, colleges, apartments, industries, marriage halls and religious institutions.
Several major educational organisations have joined the initiative, including all 35 institutions of JSS Mahavidyapeeta, institutions managed by Adichunchanagiri Mutt, and educational groups such as GSSS, MIT and Cauvery Group of Institutions.
Members of the CBSE, ICSE and State Board Private School Managements Association (CISPMAM) will also host yoga sessions in their respective institutions. Students from the University of Mysore and its hostels will gather at the Maharaja Cricket Ground, while the Brahma Kumaris organisation will conduct yoga programmes at the KSOU Stadium through its 30 local centres.
Mysuru’s enduring yoga legacy
Mysuru has long been recognised as one of the world’s most important centres for yoga education and practice. The city entered the Guinness World Records in 2017 for hosting the largest yoga lesson at a single venue, with 55,506 participants taking part.
The city’s global reputation received further recognition in 2022 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the International Yoga Day celebrations held at the Mysuru Palace premises.
With record participation expected this year, organisers believe the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations will further strengthen Mysuru’s status as a global destination for yoga and holistic wellness.
