10 million people are expected to participate in Yoga Day events across Karnataka

The nationwide program will be held at the Vidhana Soudha premises on Sunday (June 21) from 7 a.m. | Photo credit: File photo

More than 10 million people are expected to participate in International Yoga Day programs across Karnataka on Sunday (June 21), as the state government seeks to promote yoga as a regular health practice.

Health Minister UT Khader said at a press conference on Saturday (June 20) that the 12th International Yoga Day will be held under the theme ‘Yoga for Healthy Aging’.

The state level program will be held at the Vidhana Soudha premises from 7:00 AM onwards. About 2,000 yoga practitioners, students, volunteers and members of the public are expected to participate in the mass yoga demonstration based on the Common Yoga Protocol.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will inaugurate the programme.

Nitya Yoga

Mr. Khader said that the government has planned a number of activities under a year-long initiative called ‘Nitya Yoga’. “Special yoga camps will be organized throughout the year in AYUSH institutions across the state,” he said.

Yoga activities will be held in AYUSH institutions, educational institutions, community centers and health facilities. Programs have been designed for women, children, youth and seniors to integrate yoga into everyday life.

In an effort to bring yoga to rural areas, ‘Grameena Yoga’ programs will be conducted throughout the year at 360 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the state.

100 day countdown campaign

The Ministry of AYUSH has completed a 100-day countdown campaign leading up to Yoga Day. As part of the campaign, 12 national-level yoga competitions were organized in association with the Government Ayurveda Research Centre, Mysuru, in which students from more than 100 colleges across 16 states participated.

Yoga competitions on social media aimed at engaging young people have attracted more than 50,000 participants, Mr Khader said.

Several themed conferences are also organized as part of the celebrations, including programs on ‘Yoga for Healthy Aging’, ‘Science and Yoga’, ‘Cancer and Yoga’ and ‘Cardio Yoga’. These conferences will explore the role of yoga in healthy aging, disease prevention, rehabilitation and cardiovascular health.

Schools across Karnataka also organize yoga quizzes, essay writing, slogan writing, drawing, painting and rangoli competitions. More than 25,000 students are expected to participate in these activities.

The state government also plans to expand the Mysuru Yoga Hub initiative to other districts to promote long-term community engagement in yoga and wellness practices, he added.

Published – 20 Jun 2026 20:18 IST