MYSURU: With the International Yoga day just over a couple of weeks away, the cultural city of Mysuru is gearing up to make the event as special and as eye-catching as can be. This year too, the city, which has a grand tradition of producing renowned yoga experts like B K S Iyengar and Patabhi Jois, will attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records by featuring the most number of participants.
The city had achieved the feat in 2017 wherein 55,506 enthusiasts performed yoga. But the next year, it was trumped by Rajasthan, which recorded 1,00,984 participants. Taking no chances this time, the Mysuru Yoga Federation, Patanjali Ayurved and a host of other institutions have joined hands with 1,400 yoga trainers to provide free training to children, youths, women and general public. They are expected to mobilise 1.25 lakh participants on June 21.
The city received another boost when the Centre included Mysuru in the shortlist of five cities where the national programmes will be held. The other cities are New Delhi, Shimla, Ahmedabad and Ranchi.
Participants are expected to attend the classes and take part in the event to be held at the Mysuru Race Course.
The Yoga Federation, along with the district administration, has approached 1,000 schools and colleges apart from JSS institutions and private school associations with an appeal to send students for the yoga event.
Federation chairman Shrihari said JSS institutions has made the participation of 25,000 students and their parents mandatory.Private school associations too have appealed to parents to take part in the Yoga Day so that the event manages to reach record numbers. There are 340 registered yoga schools in the city, and a 100 more run by individuals and some that cater mostly to foreigners.
The organisers are planning to approach around 3,000 foreign nationals, who are learning yoga here, to take part in the event.In subsequent days, the preparations will be further stepped up, and Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Shankar will direct all government schools and institutions to take part. Yoga teacher Ganesh said it will not be difficult to organise such a large-scale event as people are aware of the benefits of yoga.