For the second time, Mysuru is making a bid to enter the Guinness Book of World Records in yoga like it did two years ago to mark the International Day of Yoga.
The target the Forum of Yoga Institutions in Mysuru has set for achieving a new world record is gigantic – to bring 1,25,000 people in a single venue to perform yoga on the sprawling campus of Mysore Race Club (MRC) on June 21.
Mysuru entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest yoga demonstration or lesson at a single venue, put up on International Day of Yoga in 2017 at the Mysuru Race Club. As many as 55,506 people performed yoga to attain the record.
With the idea of yet another record in mind, the yoga institutions in Mysuru have been working since last six months to put up a “mega” show on the yoga day. The city is going for another world record act at this year’s event after a break – it did not go after a record in 2018.
A formal announcement on the plans for yoga day hereexpected to be made once the model code of conduct ends. Last year, a Guinness World Record was achieved at Kota in Rajasthan when about 1.05 lakh people performed yoga to mark International Yoga Day. Mysuru is eyeing to break this record.
Srihari, Convener, Yoga Okkoota, Mysuru said the city has five major yoga organisations and there are about 300 institutions working under them. These institutions have trained around 1,100 master trainers who are expanding the reach of yoga by teaching the art across various platforms – schools, colleges, NGOs, private offices and so on – keeping the record in focus.
He said the number of people learning yoga here was growing with each passing year and therefore the organisers were confident of putting up the number (1.25 lakh) on June 21 with larger representations for the record-breaking performance.
In 2018, the city did not vie for any record though more than 60,000 people performed yoga at the same venue.
Besides 300-plus yoga schools in the city, there are around 15 studios that are of international standard and offer yoga courses, accommodation and food to foreigners. Last year, more than 500 foreign nationals joined the yoga session at MRC.
The yoga okkota had three meetings with the Deputy Commissioner with regard to the event.
Mr. Srihari said, “We have requested the Suttur Mutt seer to take the lead this time, as the idea is to project Mysuru as a City of Communal Harmony, bringing leaders from all religious faiths at the yoga day event.”
Another idea is to launch “Mysuru Movement on Yoga”, spreading the message of healthy living in each household by way of practising yoga, he said, adding that more celebrities will be roped in this time to promote the event.
