08 June,2011 07:16 AM IST | | Anurag Jadli
Many more visitors are coming to Ramdev's Yog Peeth at Haridwar after his clash with the UPA government
Sunil Kumar, 34, feels the air in Patanjali is fresher thanu00a0 Delhi. Kumar, who has come all the way from Faridabad, is among Baba Ramdev's many followers who are thronging the Peeth to express solidarity with the Yoga Guru on his fight against corruption.
The Patanjali Yog Peeth Ashram in Haridwar. PIC/Arjun Panwar
Not that Patanjali was ever obscure, but after the midnight drama at Ramlila Grounds in Delhi on the wee hours of Sunday when Baba's supporters were violently evicted and Ramdev himself was flown back to Haridwar, the number of visitors at the Peeth has gone up from around a 100-odd to almost 700 daily. This, despite the scorching heat.
"I have come to see the Baba, express solidarity with him. But after coming here, it feels I have discovered a whole new world. I wake up early in the morning and do pranayaam, spend the day in meditation and feel close to nature, sitting under the trees," said Kumar, who has come here with his elder brother Anil. Apart from Yoga camps, the Peeth has a well-stocked library, with internet facility. "The place is so clean. One can meditate here all day as the atmosphere is conducive to spiritual activities. Though we came here to meet the Baba, we are planning to stay here for long," said Kuldeep Singh Bisht from Yamuna Vihar, Delhi, who is staying at Patanjali with his family.
According to the officials, due to the recent face-off between Ramdev and the central government, the
number of followers coming to Patanjali have gone up by 30 to 40 per cent. "On a daily basis, we get to see around 150 followers, but now suddenly there are more than 700 followers," said an official from Patanjali, on the condition of anonymity.
u00a0
The official added: " Even business at the canteen and other eating joints near the Peeth has gone up." Ramdev himself is confident of his fight against corruption. "I have always supported Anna and will continue to do so. The government tried to remove me by force. They are opposing Anna as well. The only difference is they are not using force against him," said Ramdev.
"I will not go back to Delhi for the time being as it was an extremely bad experience there. Instead, I would prefer exploring the other villages in the nearby areas. Last time, I took one lakh followers along with me, this time the number will be one crore," added Baba.
His visitors, meanwhile, have more on their minds than just fighting corruption. Dev Mal Singh, a 55-year-old businessman from Haryana, said: "This place is very near Haridwar. After spending time here at Patanjali, we are planning to go to Haridwar also. It will be a relaxing holiday.
