Mysore/Mysuru: President of Mysuru District Kannada Sahitya Parishat Maddikere Gopal has demanded that the Cultural Capital Mysuru should be officially declared as ‘Yoga Nagari’ (Yoga City) and release required funds for the further growth of Yoga.

Speaking after releasing Yoga Calendar brought out by Chaitanya Yoga Educational and Research Foundation at Patrakarthara Bhavana in the city on Thursday, Gopal said: “People from across the country and also abroad come to Mysuru only to learn Yoga in Mysuru. We can see hundreds of foreigners at Yadavgiri, Vontikoppal, Gokulam and several other localities learning Yoga both in the morning and evening hours. Already Mysuru is popular as ‘Yoga City’ but can take the art to further heights if it gets official stamp as ‘Yoga City’ and funds are sanctioned towards its development.”

Krishnamachar introduced Yoga to Mysuru under the patronage of erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. While BKS Iyengar popularised it across the globe, he added.

Presiding over the programme, T. Jalendra Kumar, President of Mysore Yoga Federation, said: “Thirty years back, there were five Yoga teaching centres, but now there are more such centres. It was the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi came down to Mysuru to perform during International Day of Yoga.”

Senior journalist Amshi Prasanna Kumar was conferred ‘Patrika Chaitanya’ award, Srihari Dwarakanath, Founder of GSS Yoga Institute, ‘Yoga Chaitanya’ award and N. Anantha, President of Himalaya Foundation, ‘Yoga Sahitya Chaitanya’ award.

President of Chaitanya Yoga Educational and Research Foundation, B.P. Murthy, health expert Nandini Murthy, Secretary of the Foundation Bhavani, Lakshmi and Lakshmi Nag were present on the occasion.