Mysuru: Yoga capital gears up for Dasara

Mysuru: With the Union Health and Family Welfare ministry issuing guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for the reopening of yoga institutes in the country, one city is gleeful.

The yoga centres in Mysuru, the yoga capital of the world, are looking to capitalise on the upcoming Dasara celebrations. Several yoga centres in the city had to shut down due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic crisis in the last five months. Scores of yoga centres in the city are gearing up to promote yoga at the world-famous Dasara celebrations. The state government too allowed 'yoga' centres to operate during the Dasara celebrations, according to Srihari, vice- president of Yoga Federation of Mysuru.

It was Krishnamacharya (who was Yoga guru of Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar), and his student, Mr B K S Iyengar both from Mysuru who took yoga to the world. And today there are over 500 yoga institutes and 1,000 yoga teachers in Mysuru. Some view teaching yoga as a service, while for many it is their bread and butter. Speaking to the The Hans India, Srihari said the yoga institutes which were shut since March have resumed their centres in the month of August after the lockdown restrictions were eased. Such was the demand that each of the centres had four batches with 20 to 30 students each. After the outbreak of the pandemic and post-lockdown, each centre is running only two batches, he said. At least 500 to 600 foreign nationals from across the world would visit Mysuru to learn Yoga each month. Due to international travel curbs owing to the Covid -19 pandemic, foreign nations have stopped coming to Mysuru to learn yoga. "Only 100 foreigners who had come before March are currently learning yoga in Mysuru, Srihari said.

Some of the yoga institutes turned to online yoga classes from April. However, only five percent of the yoga enthusiasts are overseas nations, Srihari said.

"Though the state government permitted yoga for Dasara celebrations, we are yet to figure out the modalities on how to conduct and promote yoga," Srihari said.

In the past, separate dedicated event called Yoga Dasara was held the 10-day Dasara celebrations. The Yoga Dasara would begin a yoga walkathon amid massive events, including Yoga dance, seminars on yoga, performance of yoga in front of Mysuru Palace and Durga Namaskara at Chamundeswari temple premises at Chamundi Hills and yoga competitions.