With Modi In Town, Mysore Gets A Big Boost As International Yoga Centre

Mysuru, June 21 (TNA) The tourism and hospitality industry of Mysuru is upbeat after prime minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the International Yoga Day celebrations at the palace ground, where more than 10 thousand people joined the hour-long Yoga exercises with the PM.

Local industry captains said Tuesday’s IDY programme will give a big boost to tourism in the Yoga capital of India. Hoteliers said they expected the event to prove a game changer, as hordes of yoga enthusiasts from all parts of the world, to make a beeline to join short and long term courses in over a hundred yoga academies and schools in all parts of the city.

Gokulam, a posh locality of Mysuru, is the nucleus of Yoga activities. “Though the pandemic affected the inflow of yoga students these last two years, conditions are back to near normal now and the locality is full of foreign yoga enthusiasts,” said a shopkeeper of the area. From early morning, around 4 am, one can see groups of young men and women, with bags, mats and other paraphernalia, heading towards yoga schools, he added.

The chief centre in this area, is the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Institute. Sharath Jois, the present leading exponent of Ashtanga Yoga, is the grandson of late guru K Pattabhi Jois who gave a new dimension and popularised Ashtanga Yoga.

For many years, only foreign yoga students were seen in Gokulam, but now a large number of Indians are joining the courses here. After completion of the courses and certification, many find jobs as instructors or open their own schools in their countries, a local resident explained.

Ashtangana Vinayasa yoga, also called Mysore Yoga, is considered a modern version of the Indian classical yoga, with focus on energy, and synchronised breathing and body movements. The city, now an established yoga hub, earns substantial revenue from yoga tourism, which also supports a large number of organic products outlets, ayurvedic centres and satvik eating joints.