Forget terror, Jammu and Kashmir is all set to become the Yoga capital of India.
Thanks to the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led government, the famed resort of Mantalai in Udhampur, which once housed the sprawling Ashram of late Yogi Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari, is being developed as International Yoga Centre (IYC), which will be "second to none" in the country.
Swimming pools, airstrips, spa, helipads, gymnasium, auditoriums, hostels and business convention centre are all planned for the International Yoga Centre which will come up in the sprawling 125 acre Ashram of late Yogi.
"Our detailed project report will be completed within a month. It will be then submitted to the ministry of tourism for funding. Once the funds trickle in, it will take us two years to complete the project which will be second to none in the country", RK Verma, director tourism Jammu, told dna.
Situated 130 kilometres away from Jammu, Mantalai is a picturesque resort in Udhampur district where late Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari had set up his ashram to teach yoga to his disciples.
Spread over 125 acres of land, the Ashram housed airstrip, helipad, swimming pool, zoo, stud farms, cow shelters, orchards, forests et al.
However after Swami's death in the air crash in 1994, the Ashram has remained shut. After prolonged legal battle, the Ashram has been taken over by the state government. Now Mufti government has announced to make Mantalai the yoga capital of the country with state of art infrastructure.
"We will factor-in existing infrastructure of the Ashram and in addition we will be adding more like convention centre swimming pool and in improvised form. The project will cost around Rs 60 crore", said Verma.
Jammu and Kashmir government is trying to hard-shell the centre to attract as many people from across the world in order to make Mantalai a stand-alone tourist destination.
"We will be having state of art auditorium and classrooms for the students who will come to learn Yoga. Plus we are also creating adequate hostel facilities for the students visiting the centre", said Verma.
What is being seen as icing on the cake is the setting up of a state-of art business convention centre in the complex to attract the corporate world.
"It will not only be IYC but yoga-cum-wellness centre. We are planning to create business convention centre to attract the corporate world. Corporate would be encouraged to come and hold their meetings at the centre which will serve as wellness centre too", said Verma.
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