Jammu and Kashmir's biggest yoga centre to come up in Udhampur

Jammu and Kashmir's biggest yoga center is all set to come up in Udhampur's Mantalai. It is being built by National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) and it is expected that the centre would be completed by March 2021. The total cost of the project is Rs 9782 lakh.

Interestingly, the place was once famous for Dhirendra Brahmachari's yoga center Aparna, whose dilapidated building still exists there. It is to be noted that Dhirendra Brahmachari was the yoga teacher of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. After Brahmachari's death the property was taken over by government of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Deputy commissioner Udhampur Dr Piyush Singla told WION,"Yoga is part of life. Mantalai area has been famous for yoga activities because of yoga preacher Dhirender Bhramchari. To give a fillip to area, govt launched international Mantalai yoga center. Yoga center will give a filip to religious and tourist destination."

When it comes to Mantalai Yoga center, a pyramid shaped mega structure is being built. Besides this, houses for tourist, meditation pods, dinning block, helipad and some other projects will also come up there. The yoga center is part of larger project "integrated development of tourism facility in Mantalai, Sudh mahadev and Patni top".

At Sudh Mahadev, a cafeteria has been built and at Patni top a convention center will be built as part of the project. KR Rana, Project management, NPCC who is executing the project said,"focus is to get tourist. We are trying to expedite the project".

Land for the project was handed over in November 2017 by the then state government.  It was to be completed in 36 months by November 2020 but the project got delayed due to coronavirus VOCID-19 crisis.

In long term focus is to even connect the yoga center in Udhampur to Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra, Jammu.  The yoga center, spa area and treatment center can togther have 60-70 people at any given time.