 AGencies
Mantalai, July 31: Located nearly 100 kilometres from Jammu city, picturesque ‘Mantalai’—God’s own place, in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, is in the process of emerging as one of the most promising tourist places with world class infrastructure, including an International Yoga Centre.
Surrounded by lush green forests, ‘Mantalai’ is not less than a heaven on earth and a place to attract tourists, which earlier remained neglected for over three decades.
Union Minister in Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, who has been re-elected as Member Parliament from Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary Constituency, during his first term had Rs 80 crore sanctioned for establishing the Yoga centre.
Elaborating on the project, Dr Singh said, “The development programme of Mantalai was revived by Narendra Modi-led regime.”
“This place is going to emerge as state-of-the-art Health, Wellness and Yoga Centre of international standards,” he said, adding that the spot is also a destination of health tourism from far and wide.
“It was stuck up for over 35 years inspite of Yoga guru Dhirendra Brahmachari’s close proximity to Congress party. It was revived by the Modi Govt,” averred the Union Minister.
Notably, Mantalai development programme, besides various components, has a state-of-the-art international Yoga centre -- a part of the previous NDA Government’s ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme launched to develop potential tourist spots in the country.
The centre is proposed over a sprawling 125 acre Ashram of late Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari.
Sachiv Dev Jamwal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patnitop Development Authority (PDA) told UNI, “the mega developmental project has an integrated development of tourist facilities at Mantalai, Sudhmahadev and Patnitop under Swadesh Darshan Scheme”.
“Facilities like swimming pool, airstrips, spa, helipads, gymnasium, auditorium, hostels and business convention centre are coming up at the International Yoga Centre,” he said, adding that the project also included cafeteria at Sudhmaha Dev and Patnitop destinations.
“The world class facilities will surely boost both the leisure and the health tourism in the area,” he said.
The CEO added that the contract was awarded to National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCCL) for development of the Yoga centre and allied infrastructure at Mantalai, Patnitop and Sudhmaha Dev. MoU was signed between the Ministry of Tourism, NPCC and the J&K Govt, he said.
He also revealed about mega international level facilities coming up at Mantalai like Yoga centre with associated infrastructure, equipment and counseling rooms, Associated Infrastructure (Landscaping and Beautification, Lightening and Illumination, Solid waste management, Signage), Wellness Spa and Ayurveda Complex with separate area for traditional Indian Spa Therapies with library and archiving centre, Tourist Facilitation Centre with sitting area , toilets, lobby, gathering space and exhibition space to name a few. |
