Hundreds of yoga enthusiasts on Sunday performed mass Surya Namaskara outside Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple here.

This is the 14th edition of the event organised by the Mysuru Yoga Okkoota on the occasion of Ratha Saptami.

Yoga enthusiasts representing various yoga schools, along with participants from various schools, colleges and institutions, had assembled at the crack of dawn at the venue. The programme got off to a start around 6 a.m. and went on till 8 a.m., according to the organisers.

“The response was overwhelming as about 800 to 1,000 yoga enthusiasts participated. This shows that more number of people have taken up yoga for keeping their body and mind healthy,” said okkoota vice-president M.S. Ramesh Kumar.

Mr. Kumar told The Hindu that over 50 foreign nationals, who are pursuing yoga in Mysuru, also participated. “The foreign nationals had evinced keen interest to participate and registered for Sunday’s event much earlier,” he said. Mysore has of late emerged as a preferred hub for wellness tourism, thanks to the presence of many centres offering yoga, Ayurveda and meditation. To popularise yoga among domestic and international tourists, ‘Athithi Yoga’ was launched during Dasara last year.