Mysuru hosted the main event of the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) with a mass yoga demonstration after a gap of two years. It was the first International Day of Yoga (IDY) public event after the outbreak of COVID-19.
There have been no yoga demonstrations in public in India since 2020 due to curbs on mass gatherings owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The city of palaces had come alive while hosting the country’s main yoga day event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the grand celebration on the theme ‘Yoga for Humanity’. The theme portrayed how yoga served humanity in alleviating suffering during COVID-19.
There could be no better venue than the iconic Mysuru palace, which gave the perfect setting to the event. A green carpet was spread out on the entire premises for the occasion. The excitement was palpable with Mr Modi, who persuaded the United Nations to announce in 2015 an International Day of Yoga and gave yoga a global stage, was at the helm of affairs, encouraging the crowd.
By dawn, nearly 15,000 participants were seated on the premises, which had turned into a fortress with tight security on account of the presence of Mr Modi.
Wearing white T-shirts with IDY logo, people of all ages thronged the palace to be part of the ‘historic’ event. The mammoth crowd was accommodated in 17 enclosures equipped with yoga mats.
The stage for the IDY event was put up near Jayamarthanda Gate of the palace, overlooking the grand and impressive palace. However, after his customary speech, Mr. Modi got down from the stage and sat amidst the crowd to perform yoga.
Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, Minister for Health Dr. K. Sudhakar, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S T Somashekar participated in the event, along with top officials from the Ayush Ministry, Central institutes, and the top officials from the State Government. Yoga practitioners from as far as Delhi had come to Mysuru to be part of the event.
Only valid pass holders were allowed inside the venue after thorough screening by the police. The palace gates were shut by 6 am. The Prime Minister arrived at the venue at 6.30 am. After his speech, the yoga demonstration began at 7 am, and lasted 45 minutes.
Obviously, all eyes were on Mr Modi, who performed all ‘asanas’ as referred to in the common yoga protocol (CYP) with ease.
Selfie points were put up. Participants could be seen using their mobile cameras.
Interestingly, youth and women turned up in large numbers. Doordarshan had a live telecast of the event.
Mysuru palace has been a favorite location for mega events. The first IDY was hosted on its premises. It gave an impeccable backdrop as the participants did full body stretches and performed different asanas under the guidance of experts on the dais.
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