As Mysuru celebrates 12th International Day of Yoga, city seeks to regain its global identity

As the city has done every year since June 21 was declared the International Day of Yoga, Mysuru will once again witness thousands of yoga practitioners gathering before the iconic Mysuru Palace to perform various asanas.

However, this year’s celebrations will be spread far beyond the precincts of the Mysuru Palace, which is expected to accommodate about 10,000 persons. The Yoga Federation of Mysuru (YFM), an umbrella body comprising around 300 yoga institutions, has planned simultaneous yoga sessions at 120 venues across the city, reinforcing Mysuru’s reputation as one of India’s foremost yoga centres. An estimated 1.2 lakh people are expected to participate.

“We are not attempting any record this time. The objective is to promote yoga, and celebrate 12 years of the International Day of Yoga,” said YFM president Srihari D.

Mysuru has a special place in the history of International Day of Yoga celebrations. In 2017, the city entered the Guinness World Records by hosting the world’s largest yoga session at a single venue, with 55,506 participants performing yoga at the scenic Mysuru Race Course. The city also gained global attention in 2022 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined hundreds of yoga practitioners at the Mysuru Palace on the day.

Global hub

This year’s celebrations come at a time when the heritage city is seeking to strengthen its position as a global yoga destination.

While yoga has witnessed a surge in popularity among local residents over the past decade, stakeholders say the number of foreign students visiting Mysuru to learn yoga has declined.

“A decade ago, Mysuru’s yoga schools would attract more than 1,000 foreign students from across the world at any given time,” said Mr. Srihari.

Gokulam neighbourhood, long regarded as the centre of yoga activity, was once home to large numbers of international students. Several renowned yoga institutes operated in the area, including that of the late Sharath Jois, grandson of yoga legend K. Pattabhi Jois, who played a pivotal role in taking Ashtanga Yoga to a global audience.

The influx of foreign students had also given rise to a thriving ecosystem of cafés, yoga accessory stores, and other businesses.

Post-COVID decline

The numbers began to decline after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel for nearly three years. Just as the sector was showing signs of recovery, the demise of Sharath Jois in November 2024 dealt another blow to Mysuru’s ability to attract overseas yoga students.

“Sharath Jois travelled extensively across the world. He was instrumental in branding Mysuru as a global yoga destination. Unfortunately, the vacuum created by his passing has not yet been filled,” Mr. Srihari said.

Many destinations

Although Sharath Jois’ yoga centre continues to function from its new campus on the outskirts of the city, and several newer yoga shalas are attracting foreign students, Mysuru faces growing competition from established yoga destinations such as Rishikesh, Haridwar and Pune.

“These cities have developed dedicated infrastructure and promotional mechanisms to attract international yoga students. As a result, the foreign student base is now spread across multiple destinations,” he said.

Swamy Anand, who earlier ran the Mystique Roses café in Gokulam frequented by foreign visitors, said many foreign yoga practitioners trained under Sharath Jois now conduct programmes for international students at Sharath Yoga Centre in Mysuru. Mr. Srihari added that word-of-mouth recommendations from former students also continue to bring foreigners.

Local popularity rises

Even as Mysuru competes with other centres for international students, yoga’s popularity among local residents has grown substantially.

According to YFM, the number of yoga schools in the city has increased from around 100 to nearly 300 over the past decade. Most schools and colleges now incorporate yoga training for students, while YFM trainers also conduct sessions for corporate employees and residents of apartment complexes.

With a network of nearly 1,200 trainers, the federation plans to expand yoga outreach across the city. “Our aim is to take yoga to every household,” Mr. Srihari said. He noted that nearly 80% of yoga schools in Mysuru offer training free of cost as a service, while another 15% to 18% charge only nominal fees. Barely two per cent of the institutions primarily cater to foreign students, he added.