Bengaluru (PTI): The ninth International Yoga Day was celebrated with great fanfare in many parts of Karnataka on Wednesday.

Thousands of people took part in the event aimed at promoting good health with sound mind. The theme of Yoga Day this year is Yoga Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'.

The main event took place on the grand steps of the imposing Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru where Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader and Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao took part.

Swami Vachanananda, who is famed as 'Shwasa Guru', guided the gathering to perform yoga. A large number of government employees, students and social activists took part in the morning programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Gehlot said yoga that originated in the country has been the part of Indian tradition for a very long time.

The popularity of yoga could be assessed from the fact that people across the globe are adopting it for better health.

Greeting people on the occasion of International Yoga Day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted: "Let's practice Yoga for mental and physical health, regardless of caste, religion, creed and ideologies. Happy International Yoga Day to all."

In his message, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said yoga is the union of body and mind.

"The combination of body and mind is Yoga. Our culture, heritage lies in Yoga. Practicing Yoga everyday is a healthy lifestyle habit. Happy International Yoga Day to everyone in the state," Shivakumar tweeted.

Yoga Day was celebrated in Mysuru on the premises of the famous Mysuru Palace. The event was celebrated in various district headquarters such as Koppal, Ballari, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, Udupi, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Davangere and Hubballi-Dharwad.

The Karnataka unit of BJP marked International Yoga Day with a programme at its state headquarters 'Jagannath Bhavan' in Bengaluru, the party said in a statement.

"Yoga is a valuable contribution of ancient science of India. It symbolizes the unity of mind and body. A holistic approach to health and wellness. Happy World Yoga Day to all. #YogaForVasudhaivaKutumbakam #InternationalYogaDay2023," the state unit of the party said on its Twitter handle.

In the port city of Mangaluru, International Yoga Day was celebrated at Town Hall that was inaugurated by state BJP president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.

Mangaluru City mayor Jayananda Anchan, Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan, MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath and Bharath Shetty among other dignitaries attended the programme.

Students of various schools and colleges, members of yoga organisations and others performed different postures on the occasion.

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Mysuru: The ancient group of monuments at Lakkundi and surrounding regions, dating from the 10th to 12th centuries CE and built during the Kalyana Chalukya (Western Chalukya) era, are being finalised for inclusion in UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

The State, having expressed its commitment to advancing the proposal, has partnered with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which is currently refining the proposal, as reported by The Hindu.

Some of the key sites under consideration include the Kasi Visvesvara temple, Manikesvara temple, Nanneswara temple, Brahma Jinalaya, and Musukina Bavi in Lakkundi, along with notable structures like the Mahadeva temple at Itagi, Sri Mallikarjuna temple at Kuruvatti, and the the Someshwara temple at Lakshmeshwara in Gadag.

The monuments listed under “Architectural Ensembles of Kalyana Chalukyas” fulfil two of the six criteria that should be met for inclusion in the UNESCO tentative and final list.

One of the criteria, as cited by The Hindu, states that the monuments should exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, two planning, or design.

The other criterion that the monuments must meet is that they should represent an excellent example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that portrays a key stage or stages in human history; and the Kalyana Chalukya group of monuments meets both criteria.

The list may be revised after further consultations with experts and stakeholders. Once accepted, and on completion of one year under the tentative list, the State will be eligible to prepare a detailed nomination dossier for full World Heritage inscription.

The other heritage sites already under the tentative list include monuments and forts of the Deccan Sultanate, monuments of Srirangapatana island town, Hire Benkal megalithic site, and Badami and Aihole group of monuments.