The iconic Mysore Palace served as the perfect backdrop for over 15,000 enthusiasts led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga after a gap of two years.
The iconic Mysore Palace served as the perfect backdrop for over 15,000 enthusiasts led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga after a gap of two years.
Mysore hosted the main event of the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) with mass yoga performances after a gap of two years. This was the first International Day of Yoga (IDY) public event after the outbreak of COVID-19.
There have been no public yoga performances in India since 2020 due to the ban on mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city of palaces came alive as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the country’s main Yoga Day event leading the grand celebration on the theme ‘Yoga for Humanity’. The theme depicted how Yoga served humanity in easing suffering during COVID-19.
There could be no better venue than the iconic Mysore Palace, which gave the event its rightful place. A green carpet was laid in the entire campus on the occasion. The enthusiasm was evident with Mr Modi, who persuaded the United Nations to declare International Day of Yoga in 2015 and gave yoga a global platform, encouraging the crowd, to be on top of matters.
By dawn, around 15,000 participants were seated in the campus, which had turned into a fort with tight security due to Mr Modi’s presence.
Wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the IDY logo, people of all ages flocked to the palace to be part of the ‘historic’ event. The huge crowd was accommodated in 17 enclosures equipped with yoga mats.
Looking at the grand and impressive palace, the stage for the IDY event was set up near the Jayamarthanda Gate of the palace. However, after his traditional speech, Mr. Modi got off the stage and sat down to perform yoga among the crowd.
Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Mysore MP Pratap Simha, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, Yaduveer Krishnadutt Chamaraja Wadiyar and Mysuru district in-charge minister ST Somashekar participated. The event was attended by top officials of the Ministry of AYUSH, central institutions and top officials of the state government. Yoga practitioners from Delhi had come to Mysore to be a part of this program.
After thorough screening by the police, only valid pass holders were allowed inside the venue. The gates of the palace were closed till six in the morning. The Prime Minister reached the venue at 6.30 am. After his speech, the yoga performance started at 7 am and lasted for 45 minutes.
Clearly, all eyes were on Mr. Modi, who performed all the asanas mentioned in the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) with ease.
Selfie points installed. The participants can be seen using their mobile cameras.
Interestingly, youth and women arrived in large numbers. Doordarshan telecast the program live.
Mysore Palace has been a favorite venue for mega events. The first IDY was hosted on its premises. It gave an impeccable backdrop as the participants stretched the entire body and performed various asanas under the guidance of experts on the stage.