Bengaluru, Jun 21 (IANS): Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday joined thousands of participants in the fifth International Yoga Day celebrations in the state.

Vala joined the event held in the playground of the Bangalore University campus here.

Addressing the gathering, Vala urged the university's students and the faculty to make yoga a habit for a healthy life and sound mind, a Raj Bhavan official told IANS.

Yoga events were also held at the Kanteerava stadium in the city centre where 5,000 participants took part in an hour-long session of physical and mental exercises.

BJP state President B.S. Yeddyurappa and other party leaders took part in the yoga programme at the Manekshaw ground in the city centre and the Mallashwaram playground.

Yoga sessions were also held at Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Dharwad, Hassan, Belagavi and other cities and towns across the state.

At Mysuru, about 150 km southwest of Bengaluru, over a lakh people thronged the green race club premises to participate in various exercises.

State ministers G.T. Devegowda and S.R. Mahesh, BJP's Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha, Suttur pontiff Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, Avadootha Datta Peetham's Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, Adichunchanagiri Seer Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, royal scion Yaduveer Wadiyar also took part in the Yoga Day programmes held across the state.