Many fell on Yoga mats unable to bear biting cold; immediate medical assistance provided

Mysuru: Braving morning chill, thousands of Yoga enthusiasts landed at the Mysore Race Club premises against the backdrop of Chamundi Hill last morning for the Yogathon hosted on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. 

The final headcount was over 41,000 as against a target of 80,000 performers. Yesterday was Sunday, a general holiday, that coincided with the Makara Sankranti holiday and the Yoga enthusiasts made use of the massive arrangements made to mark the occasion.

 The bone-chilling cold temperature of 17 degrees Celsius did not deter the spirit of the performers and the young and the old squatted, kneeled, stretched and bent in unison after arriving at the venue as early as 6 am. 

 The event was hosted by the State and Central Departments of Sports and Youth Empowerment, AYUSH and Culture along with National Service Scheme, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Mysuru District Administration, Zilla Panchayat and Mysuru Yoga Federation and Sports Associations.

 The event began with registrations at 7 am and the Race Course premises was covered with mist. There was minimum visibility and Yoga enthusiasts also struggled to find their companions and friends amidst the crowd. Only registered participants were allowed inside the venue after QR code scanning.

 The Sun was playing hide-and-seek amidst a foggy atmosphere and it was 8.30 am when the Sun finally became visible. The actual Yoga event was held between 8 am and 8.57 am. The event had the same Yoga protocol followed for International Yoga Day and they performed simple Yoga exercises as guided by the organisers  and teachers.

 Cold wave sweeps venue

A cold wave swept the Race Course and it lasted for more than 30 minutes. Though many had come to the venue with protective gear, they had to leave them behind as it would be difficult to perform the exercises with sweaters and jackets on. The chairs and other equipment spread on the ground were drenched with dew. 

 Several young boys and girls and elders fell on the ground, unable to bear the biting cold. Fortunately, medical assistance was immediately provided and they were shifted to vehicles and ambulances and were given foot and hand massages to warm them up. Some elders were rushed to JSS Hospital nearby for treatment.

New record in the offing

Addressing the Yoga performers after inaugurating the Yogathon, Krishnaraja MLA S.A. Ramdas said that Mysuru city which has emerged as a Yoga hub must make all efforts to create a world record performing Yoga with 1.5 lakh people at a time in the same venue.

 “More than one lakh people have performed Yoga under the guidance of Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and the Mysuru Yoga Association must make similar efforts to create a world record with a performance by 1.5 lakh people by inviting Ramdev to the city on International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21 this year,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra lauded the organisers for conducting the event smoothly, despite the fact that the preparations were delayed. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in International Yoga Day, the city’s tourism has witnessed a boom and thousands of people from all over the world are learning Yoga in Mysuru, he said.

Mysuru City Police Commissioner Ramesh Banoth said that they have planned to introduce Yoga for the good health of Policemen and also enable them to overcome stress.

Mayor Shivakumar, Deputy Mayor Dr. G. Roopa, Zilla Panchayat CEO B.R. Poornima, Mysuru Superintendent of Police Seema Latkar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Lokanath, District AYUSH Officer Dr. Pushpa too performed Yoga on the occasion. Mysuru Yoga Federation head D. Srihari and Yoga Guru P.N. Ganesh Kumar guided the performers.

It is a record in Karnataka with 6.5 lakh participants

Bengaluru, Jan. 16 (Agencies)- Karnataka Sports and Youth Empowerment Department created a new record yesterday by organising mass Yoga performance across the State, which saw the participation of over 6.5 lakh persons.

 Sports and Youth Empowerment Minister K.C. Narayanagowda stated in a release that the earlier Guinness record had been held by Rajasthan, where about 1.5 lakh people had participated in a Yogathon.

 He expressed happiness over his Department’s achievement. “We had planned for five lakh Yoga enthusiasts to participate in the event, but 6.5 lakh people came for the Yogathon. I am grateful to all the students, members of various organisations, volunteers, government staff members and officers and other Yoga enthusiasts who ensured the success,” he said.

Yogathon was hosted in 35 places in all the districts simultaneously at the same time. The State Government is aiming to enter the Guinness World Record by breaking                                                      Rajasthan’s record.