Former US president Barack Obama and Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will visit Mandya district in Karnataka state, India, in Dec 2023 to lay the foundation stone for an International Yoga and Meditation Centre, reported the indianexpress.com Aug 31, citing a release from the chief minister’s office.

The report said a delegation consisting of the state’s Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy and Dr Lakshminarasimha Murthy of the Bhutayi Trust, which is constructing the centre, and others met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and discussed with him the arrangements to be made for the visits.

Dr Murthy is the father of Dr Vivek Hallege Murthy, the surgeon general of US under the Obama and Joe Biden administrations. Hallegere, where the yoga centre will come up in Mandya district, is the native village of the Murthy family of physicians.

State lawmaker (MLC) Dinesh Gooligowda, who was part of the delegation, has said the centre would be built on 13-acre land owned by the family in the village. “It will cost around Rs 80-100 crore to construct and will serve people of all communities,” he has said.

Mandya is located about 70 km from the nearest Tibetan Settlement in the state located in Hunsur City of Mysore district.

The IANS news service Aug 31 said President Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle.

The report said the delegation members explained to the Chief Minister the work of the centre, saying it will be a great contribution not only to Hallegere and Mandya district but to the entire state. They have also explained the social work being done by the trust.