Understand significance of Valentine's Day: Ramdev

Underlining that every festival signifies the victory of good over evil, yoga guru Ramdev today called on the people to understand the significance of Valentine's Day.

"People are adopting mostly Western culture forgetting the real meaning of Valentine's Day," Ramdev told a media conference after a yoga camp here marking the 175th anniversary of Assam Rifles.

Narrating the story of the medieval Christian Saint Valentine who had fought the royal monopoly over marriage to establish marriage as an institution for people, Ramdev said, "Present generation have forgotten the struggles of St Valentine for granting sanctity to the institution of marriage. He used to quietly organise wedding ceremonies in the churches for the common people."

"This day is not all about fun. St Valentine spread the message of marriage not that of socio-cultural decadence," Ramdev said.

"Nor it is an occasion to flout love on streets. If people have any respect for St Valentine, they should go and get married," he said.

Drawing parallels with Holi, the spirit of which he maintained was getting drowned in alcohol and Deepawali, a synonym for pollution these days, Ramdev exhorted the youths to find out the real meaning of Valentine's Day.