The sprawling Mysore Palace grounds came alive with the spirit of wellness and discipline on Sunday as thousands of yoga practitioners and enthusiasts gathered to mark the 12th International Day of Yoga. Participants of all ages performed yoga asanas in synchrony, creating a spectacle against the backdrop of the city’s most iconic landmark.

Also read: International Yoga Day 2026 highlights

The grand yoga session, held under this year’s theme, ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’, showcased Mysuru’s lasting legacy as a global hub of modern yoga and drew participation from people across all age groups.

Inaugurating the celebrations, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar said many of the yoga practices popular across the world today trace their roots to Mysuru, which played a defining role in carrying India’s ancient yogic tradition into the modern era.

“Yoga is one of the six classical schools of Indian philosophy. It is not merely a system of physical exercise but a way of life that teaches people how to lead a balanced and fulfilling life,” he said.

Recalling the city’s historical connection with modern yoga, Mr. Wadiyar said that the erstwhile Mysore ruler Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar had invited the renowned yoga guru T. Krishnamacharya to Mysuru after meeting him at Banaras Hindu University. Krishnamacharya later began teaching yoga at the Jaganmohan Palace and Sanskrit schools in the city, laying the foundation for what would become a global yoga movement.

The MP said that internationally recognised practices such as Surya Namaskar and several yoga asanas, which are widely practised today, evolved through the teachings of Krishnamacharya in Mysuru, helping to establish the city as a globally recognised centre of modern yoga.

Mr. Wadiyar also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts for securing international recognition for yoga and said it was a matter of pride that countries around the world now celebrate the International Day of Yoga.

Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa said Yoga Day programmes were organised at nearly 180 locations across Mysuru this year. More than 1,200 yoga instructors led the programmes, while over one lakh people participated in yoga demonstrations across the city following months of preparation by the Mysuru Yoga Federation.

He said that the enthusiastic participation of children with special abilities was one of the highlights of the celebrations.

District AYUSH Officer Dr. Renuka Devi said yoga was not merely a physical activity but a discipline that integrates the mind, body and spirit. Referring to this year’s theme, she said regular yoga practice could help people maintain good health even in old age.

The event was organised jointly by the Government of India, the Government of Karnataka, the district administration, the Zilla Panchayat, the AYUSH Department, the Mysore Palace Board, the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, the School Education Department, the Yoga Federation of Mysuru and various yoga organisations.