Vice President launches Ramdev's dream project

Hardwar, Apr 6: Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today launched the first Yoga University of the country, Patanjali Yoga Peeth, a dream project of Yoga guru Swami Ramdev, at a grand ceremony at Bahadarabad near here.

''Our constitution has guaranteed the right to lead a dignified life to all citizens. Swami Ramdev has assured the right to lead a healthy and disease free life to all,'' Mr Shekhawat said at the inaugural ceremony.

While Uttaranchal Chief Minister N D Tiwari, who presided over the function, declared that the Patanjali Yoga and Ayurveda University had been empowered to open its colleges in all parts of the country, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad announced that the Yoga Peeth would be linked with that railway line and a railway station would be built at the project site about 15 km from here.

Speaking on the occasion, Swami Ramdev, who is the life-long chancellor of the university, said his mission was to provide peace, health&sanskars (moral values) to the people through yoga, ayurveda and spirituality.

The general secretary of the Yoga Peeth, Acharya Bal Krishna said that the Yoga Peeth would have OPD facilities for 5,000 to 10,000 patients per day and 3,000 beds for indoor patients.

Several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of many states including Delhi, Haryana and Bihar, Bollywood celebrities, chiefs of some leading industrial houses, including Rahul Bajaj, Karson Bhai Patel, Brij Mohan Munjal, A.P. Hinduja and B. K. Modi, attended the ceremony along with an array of religious leaders.

UNI