Former US President Barack Obama, Dalai Lama to visit Karnataka's Mandya in December

Barack Obama and Dalai Lama will visit Karnataka's Mandya in December to lay the foundation stone of a Yoga and Meditation Centre.

Former United States President Barack Obama and spiritual leader Dalai Lama are set to visit Karnataka this year to lay the foundation stone for an international yoga and meditation centre, news agency ANI reported. The duo are likely to arrive in Hallegere, Mandya district in December this year to lay the foundation stone for the International Yoga and Meditation Centre, which is being built by the Bhutayi Trust.

The duo are likely to arrive in Hallegere, Mandya district in December this year.

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Mandya District in-charge Minister Cheluvaraya Swamy, along with a delegation including Dr Lakshminarasimha Murthy, who is the president of the trust, met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday and requested him to arrange helipads, roads, drains, electricity and drinking water for the programme.

CM Siddaramaiah “responded positively” to the requests and said he will hold discussions on the same, the report added. Dr Lakshminarasimha Murthy is the father of Dr Vivek Murthy, who was Barack Obama's medical advisor. Dr Lakshminarasimha Murthy owned 13 acres of of inherited land and has hence planned to establish an international yoga and meditation centre via his trust, estimated to cost him around ₹80 crore.

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Mandya MLA Dinesh Gooligowda has decided to back the trust by providing a grant of ₹10 lakh from his regional development fund.

(With inputs from ANI)