Buddha, Nanak, Ramdev and the Misrepresentation of Facts

Buddha's Message and Promotion

Ashoka was a valiant warrior and a terrible foe. But in 260 BC, he met Buddha after the Kalinga War, where many thousands were killed. And that chance meeting changed Ashoka forever. Not just Ashoka, but the entire South Asia, and indeed the mankind.

Those days, there were no corporations. There weren't any Corporate laws or Audits. In that informal time, Ashoka unleashed his entire state machinery and his state wealth, apart from his family and his people - to go around the world and spread Buddha's message.

Buddha accepted this gift of Ashoka as a necessary tool to sow a seed of Spiritual Awakening in the masses. Gautama, the Buddha was also very certain that He himself would lead his Sangha (or Congregation) and despite numerous attempts by Devadutta to push Gautama off as the leader of the Sangha, Gautama did not relent. Buddha remained the leader of his Sangha - and with Ashoka's patronage and wealth, the Sangha promoted and spread the Buddha's word far and wide.

Had this episode occured today - Ashoka would have created a corporation or a Non-Profit and would have put in Billions to do the marketing and promotion, with Buddha being the leader of that Non-Profit. The terms, the semantics, the laws and the tools were different at Buddha's time, but the central work would have been done the same way.

Devadutta tried each and every way to bring Gautama down from the helm of his Sangha. Every way and method was used - including proposition for extra restrictions on the vinaya (one of the two pillars of Buddha's teachings - Dharma - or law / doctrine - and Vinaya - or discipline - are the two pillars). Devadutta also tried to create a breakaway group and took some of the Sangha members with him, but even they were brought back. No matter what Devadutta tried, Gautama, the Buddha did not relent in his leadership of the Sangha and nor did he let his teachings be influenced by someone else.

The reason why Buddha is spiritually important, and indeed critical is because he had at one time over 10,000 Enlightened disciples. A feat, rarely ever touched. But he also had the patronage of an entire empire.

By today's standards of media probe used for Ramdev's wealth and promotion of his message, Buddha would have gone down in history as a billionaire and a Thug!

Nanak, His Travels (Udasis) and the finances

Let's move on to Nanak. Baba Nanak - or Guru Nanak Dev - was no ordinary being. He had hardly much education, but he was an awakened being who articulated the ultimate truth with remarkable clarity.

While he travelled from Iran to Assam, Kazakhastan to Ceylon, Mecca to Kyrgystan, his family was being taken care of by Muslim noble and landlord - Rai Bular Bhatti, one of Nanak's earliest devotees. His travels were financed by Bhullar and other devotees. Although he had no formal organization to accept donations and grants, but he and his family were, nevertheless, the beneficiaries. Many brought jewels at his feet, which he didn't accept. But he did accept money to survive himself, promote his word by way of travels and also upkeep his family. In all, he traveled on his journeys - called Udasis, for almost half of his entire lifetime.

When it came to Spiritual matters, Nanak was firm and direct. There was no ambiguity. Clarity of thought is the first sign of enlightenment. And Nanak showed that in abundance. He articulated it with love and compassion but with relentless honesty. Just as other Enlightened men and women before and after him, he did not have any political speak. There was no one to please and no one to make an enemy of.

In such times, many tried to target Nanak and many did go to lot of extent even putting him in the jail.

Had today's media standards of targeting Ramdev been used in Nanak's case, he would have gone down in history as a Family deserter at worst and a Landlord by proxy at best.

Spirituality and Wealth

To understand the link between Spirituality and Wealth, and to properly perceive the connection - lack of it, actually - between the two, it is important and instructive to go through the story of Gautama, the Buddha again.

Buddha was an amazing student. Whichever school he tried, he left no stone unturned. No one could ever say that he didn't try enough when it came to Sadhna. In the end, he went through a Tap, where he was surviving on one grain of rice for days. He was weak and without strength. He was crossing a weak stream and was taken away by the water. Somehow he managed to come out. By that time, he had managed LOTS of followers, who also believed that a weak, poor man in tatters is also a spiritual man. That night as he sat under the tree with no hope in life or thereafter but with determination to just over "with it", he was enlightened. The first thing he did after that was have a hearty meal and he enjoyed it as he ate it. Seeing this, many of his followers - who believed that living in tatters is the height of Spirituality - ran away. "How could he eat so much AND enjoy?!" was their refrain.

That's the tragedy of Spirituality. The "principles" of Spiritual "behavior" are NOT set by the enlightened, but by Spiritual idiots. Only those who aren't monks or Yogis themselves are the ones who take it upon themselves to lay down how a Monk or a Yogi should behave!

Ironically, outside of the Spiritual world, in every other arena of life, the practitioners themselves set the rules and principles for themselves. But not so for the Monks and Yogis, and the Enlightened. It is done by people who have never travelled on that road.

Baba Ramdev Episode

In Baba Ramdev's episode, the arguments against him are interesting in nature and expose the mindset that besets a "believer" of a religion or a politician who is on a witch hunt. The less said about the latter the better.

Of the former - when someone has never made effort to exert himself or herself to understand the underlying truths on the Spiritual Path, then that same rigor will be taken everywhere he/she goes. Every where s/he presents any thoughts, they will have the same level of intellectual rigor and effort.

"Ramdev is a thug because he has a lot of money abroad": The organization / trust he has is the one which has invested in those properties via the donations given by various followers or beneficiaries of his work. If one thinks back to the Buddha days, for thousands of Stupas built all over the South Asian land mass, money spent for the artisans and the raw material would have been in millions by the yardstick of that time. Can one safely say, using the same argument, that since the Sangha of Buddha - leadership of which he so fervently safeguarded - was the beneficiary of that money, Buddha - as the person at the helm was a thug? And like Ramdev, all that construction was also done abroad.

Ramdev, of course, has a slight advantage over Buddha. The Buddha had a family. Ramdev has none. So, even if he makes money, it will be for himself.

"Ramdev hasn't given his accounts openly, so how can he ask politicians to come clean?": First thing first, If Ramdev's accounts are not upto the mark, it won't make much of a difference to you or me. But if Rs 400 lakh crores (USD 9.09 Trillion) don't come back and many more are stashed out that will make a HUGE difference to the country's economic future! Just as a reference, United States' total debt is Rs 650 lakh crores!

Second, Ramdev's trust is a Private Trust and not a Public Limited Company. So, he does give out the accounts but not in public - but to the tax authorities. That is the law. There is no reason why he should do otherwise. Instead of making up stories based on an action in line with the legal practice, it may be more worthwhile to actually go to the tax authorities and ask for the accounts via an RTI (RIght to Information) plea.

Third, with the kind of passion with which the Government and the adminstration is targeting Ramdev, can any intelligent person believe that if his accounts weren't up to the mark, he would have survived? Is it even reasonable or logical?

"Ramdev should only teach Yoga and not talk of Politics or Social Ills": Arundhati Roy is a fiction writer, award winning, but a story writer nevertheless. But over the past few years she has been eulogized as a champion for causes ranging from Kashmir to Dams to Nukes. Kapil Sibal, on the forefront of the gang to hit Ramdev is a lawyer. But he is a Human Resource Minister and talks freely of what is right or wrong about Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Maybe I wasn't listening, but one didn't hear much complaint from anywhere. So, why the change in standards now?

And, moreover, he is a citizen and a tax payer. Where the money he pays as taxes goes is his concern as well! As much as any other citizen's. No matter what you do, you can talk about how your money is used by your representative.

A mahatma announces fast unto death just for You and me.

Anna Hazare has given an ultimatum to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to enact stringent anti-corruption law – the peoples “Jan Lokpal Bill”! Jail to the corrupt must happen! We have been betrayed by those that are leading us!

When & Where?

From 5th April at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

Who is Anna Hazare?

A soldier, lone survivor in his unit in 1965 Indo-Pak war, Anna dedicated his life to the well-being of society. A bachelor, an ascetic, he has no possessions, no bank balance and lives in a temple. He is a living Mahatma Gandhi! 

In Maharashtra, Anna has single handedly transformed barren and dry regions into green and food surplus areas. He has fasted unto death on several earlier occasions. He forced the Maharashtra government to dismiss the corrupt - 6 ministers and 400 officers. Due to his fast, the govt enacted the Maharashtra RTI Act. In 2006, when government of India tried to amend the Central RTI Act, he again went on an indefinite fast and forced the Indian government not to amend RTI Act.

Leaders, organizations and the common man from across India will be with him. This is a do or die moment – let us make it happen!

Across India, join Swami Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Swami Agnivesh, Arch Bishop Vincent Concessao, Mahmood A Madani, Kiran Bedi, J M Lyngdoh, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Mufti Shamoom Qasmi, Mallika Sarabhai, Arun Bhatia, Sunita Godara, All India Bank Employees Federation, PAN IIT Alumni Association, Common Cause and many other prominent organizations and leaders, as India comes out on the streets! 100+ CITIES WILL RALLY BEHIND ANNA!

This is a defining moment for India that can give our children a better future! Let us unite and stand by him! Thousands will be there to support him. Will you be there?

Anna’s appeal to the people:

When I sit on fast from 5 April, I urge my fellow countrymen to

• Join me in fasting for one, two, three or whatever number of days you can comfortably fast.

• Along with fast, please pray to God (whoever you believe in) for better and corruption free India. Collective prayers from all the people of India would definitely have a huge impact.

• Write an impassioned plea to our Prime Minister that we look upon him to pass “Jan Lokpal Bill”, else we will be compelled not to vote for his party in next elections.

• Remain calm and peaceful and develop the courage to go to jail, if required, in this next freedom movement.

If possible, come and stay with Anna at Jantar Mantar for a few days from April 5th.

Would you like to stay updated about this movement? Let us know your contact details at indiaagainstcorruption.2010@gmail.com

Salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill

Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal, this Bill has been refined on the basis of feedback received from public on website and after series of public consultations. It has also been vetted by and is supported by Shanti Bhushan, J M Lyngdoh, Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare etc. It was sent to the PM and all CMs on 1st December. However, there is no response.

1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month’s time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. But won’t the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won’t be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

JAN LOKPAL BILL will act as deterrent and instill fear against corruption.

A mahatma is doing fast unto death just for You and me, can we not even support him?

(This movement is neither affiliated nor aligned to any political party)

India Against Corruption: A-119, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, UP | 09718500606

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Ban notes of denominations above rupees 100

I am in US these days at my company's duty. I am always keen to find out why most US people are materialistically happy and most Indians in scarce. There are certainly many visitble reasons like...strict laws, honesty, courtesy. One of the most important reasons for their prosperity seems to be unavailability of big notes here, and negligible amount of cash transactions. The largest amount of cash I could see here was $50 and that too was with me :)

If we compare this with India..it seems 500 Rs note nowadays is becoming the lowest denomination note the way its circulated. With this comes to my mind, Ramdev Swamiji's advice to Indian govt. about banning notes of denominations above rupees 100.

Also, currency circulation should be transformed in banking transactions so that surplus currency may be ordinary paper for all practical purposes. All sales and purchases exceeding say Rs 20000, even though payment may be made in parts, must be through banks. In case of cash payments, currency tax at the rate of 30 per cent may be imposed. All expenses exceeding Rs 1000 must be allowed when made through cheques or drafts.

Payments of essential services like water, telephone, electricity and municipal taxes for bills exceeding Rs 1000 must be by cheques or drafts only. Cash withdrawals from a bank account in a single day exceeding Rs 20000 may not be generally allowed and should be reported to IT department.

Drafts, Pay Orders and Traveller cheques must carry names and address or account numbers of purchasers with reduced validity period of say 45 days to check their misuse as ‘benami’ drafts for carriers of black money. With tax rates drastically reduced now at global level, it is rather in interest of business persons to do away with under table deals.

Currency related crimes includes robberies and other anti-national activities like fake currency, bribes, circulation of unaccounted and black money etc. Since higher denomination currency Currency circulation has been of charm now mainly to bribe takers, which reportedly include even persons on high posts, being perhaps the only reason to continue with menace of unnecessary inflow of surplus currency in our economic system!

Let's hope Manmohan Singh could gather the strength to accept Baba Ramdev's great piece of advice.

Important Yogic Remedies from Ancient Indian Scriptures:

1. 29th chapter of Agnipuran contains a medicine, which grants longevity to a person. According to the text, consuming 240 mg to 500 mg of Brahmi powder with milk every morning is very beneficial. It also increases the memory power.


2. Ayurvedic scriptures like Charaka and Sushruta say that consuming 3 gm of green vegetable soup (made form Brahmi) increases the memory power. Brahmi leaves are tasty just like the tamarind leaves.


3. Bhav Prakash includes the importance of Shankhpushpi for good memory. Consuming 3 to 6 gm of Shankhpushpi powder with milk is extremely beneficial for increasing memory. It also plays an important role in improving the functioning of the brain and its overall development.


4. Beshajya Ratnavali is a famous Ayurvedic literature. According to this book, regular consumption of Brahmi, Shankhpushpi, almond, etc. strengthen the brain cells and provide coolness to the brain. They are helpful in improving memory power and curing nervous related problems.


5. An Ayurvedic literature called Chikitsa Chandrodaya mentions the importance of Brahmi in the form of a chemical. Regular consumption of Brahmi improves the capacity to think and understand. It also includes a simple combination to improve memory power. It says that almond and sugar candy 'Halava' (sweet dish) is very healthy to strengthen the brain cells and improve the memory power.


6. Add one gram of black pepper in ten grams of honey and consume this mixture twice a day. This combination is very beneficial for increasing the memory power, improves eyesight and stops premature graying of hair.


7. A Greek literature 'Ijajul Gruba' mentions that consuming fiber in right quantity is extremely beneficial. Almond and pomegranate squash are very useful sources of fiber food. Whichever squash suits the body, should be taken regularly in the summer season. This book has cautioned that the best way to improve the memory power is to keep the mind cold and the feet warm.


8. Ayurvedic books have paid utmost attention to massage. Massaging the feet and head with rapeseed oil is beneficial in improving the memory power. Regular massage of the head increases the blood flow and also improves the memory power. It also relieves headache and improves the eyesight.


9. A simple tip can improve your memory power many times. When you go to bed, lie down straight, close your eyes and memorize all the activities, which you did throughout the day from morning to evening. Practice this tip everyday and you will notice that the memory power has improved to a great extent.


10. People who sleep with their head towards the East or South direction have very good memory power.


11. According to Guru Pushya Yog one should always keep Apamarg herb, this increases the memory power.

Five national myths and the reality!

1. India is a poor country,

2. Only about 5% people pay tax in the nation,

3. All people are dishonest,

4. Corruption cannot be removed, only corruption will govern the nation,

5. The nation’s progress and employment is not possible without foreign investment.

The Fact

It is a conspiracy run by some corrupt, dishonest and cunning people to spread these lies and false rumours . It is a conspiracy to develop self-languor amongst people that these lies and false figures have been circulated. On the basis of reality, true figures and theories, we present the facts in front of the citizens so that patriotic people may get together and unmask the corrupt people, and come forward to change the country and the country’s fate.

1. India is a poor nation!....White Lie!

Fact: India is the most powerful and richest nation in the world.

This is a very big truth that people of most of the developed countries are weak but their leadership or law is very strong. Here, the people of the nation are strong but the leadership is cowardly, timid and corrupt and the law is weak. The total budget of local authorities, state governments and central government of India is Rs 20 lakh crore. And this Rs 20 lakh crore budget is there when corruption is in its peak everywhere in the nation. If corruption did not exist, the total budget of India could be Rs 35-40 lakh crore. You think, you decide, can the budget of a poor nation be so huge? The corrupt and dishonest people of the nation are intentionally portraying the nation poor. If the corruption, then not even one person in the country will remain unemployed or poor. People are kept unemployed, poor and illiterate as a conspiracy. This enables the corrupt administrators rule over the poor, unemployed, illiterate and insecure people according to their whims and run an autocracy in the name of democracy.

2. Only about 5% of India’s people pay tax! …White Lie!

Fact: Almost 100% people pay tax in India!

Every Indian who puts on two garments to cover his body and uses 1-2 bars of soap in the year or wears shoes or sandals or goes to shops or the market and buys daily essential goods such as flour, salt, toothpaste, oil, spices, paper, pen, iron, cement, etc., pays duty in the form of VAT or excise on all these items.Even a common man definitely pays tax in one way or the other such as stamp duty, water tax, house tax, sewage tax, road tax, service tax, sale tax, etc. Thus, isn’t this a white lie that only 5% people pay tax! This myths and false rumours are spread in a conspiracy so that if some corrupt an` YOG SANDESH-ENGLISH ` 29 dishonest people rob the nation, then no voice is raised, so that when someone asks for an account of the tax money paid by these corrupt people, they are able to say,‘You do not even pay tax. Who are you to ask?’ This myth has been so deeply embedded in the hearts of the common people that they feel they do not have any contribution at all in the nation’s progress. While the truth is that each Indian has the right to ask the various systems of the nation, the authority of the nation, about the collected by the government through various taxes, money of the money that they have contributed for the progress of the nation. They have the right to ask, ‘What has happened to that money?’

3. All people are dishonest!...The biggest conspiracy.

Fact: In India, 99% of the common people are honest, or they want to live with honesty.

This kind of lie that everyone is dishonest is spread because the illusion that everyone is dishonest becomes deeply engraved in the mind of a patriotic, honest person with character. Whereas the reality is that 99% of common Indians are honest or want to live with honesty while 99% of the representatives of the nation, that is almost 99% of the politicians, MPs, MLAs were dishonest.In order to hide their own dishonesty, these 99% corrupt and dishonest people have carried out this very big conspiracy by calling the 99% honest citizens of the nation dishonest and liars.The day these 99% sensitive, aware, patriotic and honest people unite together, these 1% dishonest people will be destroyed. And India will be called a nation of honest people, not dishonest people.

4. Corruption can never be removed, only corruption will rule the nation!...Deep conspiracy!

Resolution: Only honest, patriotic people will govern the nation.

Only corrupt people will govern the nation- Even this lie is being told like a conspiracy with which honest, patriotic people are never able to come into authority and one corrupt person after the other sit in authority and mercilessly loot the nation. There are also honest, patriotic, educated and responsible people with character who are capable of excellently governing the nation without corruption. A simple question arises in everyone’s minds is it possible for good people with character to get together? Can patriots be given votes keeping patriotism above everything else? Can’t honest people become MPS, MLAs? The direct, complete and simple answer to this is there are patriotic people with character who are capable of leading the nation but the patriotic, honest people who would vote for them and bring them into power are not organized.

The aim of Bharat Swabhiman is – to organize these patriotic people and by organizing them to bring patriotic, honest, sensitive, sincere people with character to the seat of authority.By organizing patriotic people, I will unveil the truth behind the myth that only corrupt people can rule over the nation. My resolution is that henceforth only patriotic people will govern the nation.

5. The nation’s progress and employment is not possible without foreign investment!...Utter falsehood.

Fact: If resources are 100% utilized then our nation will progress and there will not be any unemployment.

This is also a projected lie in order to rob the nation and a conspiracy that without foreign investment our country will not progress. The truth is if the wealth of the nation is not destroyed by corruption is big enough to ensure that not even one person of the nation need not be hungry, poor or unemployed. If the wealth is not deposited in the hands of the dishonest people, and is invested in solid business and progress then there will be so much wealth coming into the nation that we will reach the status of being able to loan out money to other nations with interest. India will then be able to stand with pride as the biggest economic power in the world.

Today the reality is that about Rs 70 lakh crores, money that has been stolen by some corrupt people, are deposited in foreign banks. And the corruption by the corrupt people continues. Reality is not that this country won’t be able to progress without foreign direct investment (FDI); truth is the day we bring back our stolen money from foreign banks, that day the world will not run. The world is running by our money stolen by corrupt, dishonest people. At the very least, the economic source of powerful nations like Switzerland comes from the corruption in our country.

Save the river Ganga!!

Yoga guru Swami Ramdev has been campaigning to save the Ganga from pollution, as have so many others in the past including religious heads and members of civil society.

He wishes that the river that is considered holy by millions should be given heritage status. At least then, he reasons, polluting the river would be considered a punishable crime. Swami Ramdev started his campaign from Kanpur since it is here that the river receives large volumes of toxic effluents from the city's tanneries and other small-scale industries.

The Ganga is both goddess and river. Sitting on the banks of the Ganga is in itself an uplifting experience, as the ambience is rich with the meditations of sages from time immemorial. As the consort of Shiva, flowing from his matted locks as Shakti, her waters are believed to have the power to wash away all sin.

How the Ganga was brought down to earth is told in the story of Bhagiratha who obtained permission from the gods for the river to descend to earth so that the sacred waters might wash over the ashes of the sons of his ancestor, Sagar. The Ganga came down but Shiva absorbed the force of the mighty torrent by letting it flow through his hair. From the head of Shiva it flowed down as the Sapta-Sindhva or the seven sacred rivers.

The Ganga is also called Alaknanda - from the locks of Shiva; Deva-Bhuti - heavenly; Gandini - ever-shining; Hara-Shekhara - Shiva's crest; Jahnavi - from Jahnu; Khapaga - flowing from heaven; Kumarsu - mother of Kartikeya; Mandakini - gently flowing; and Tripathga - flowing through the three worlds of heaven, earth and hell.

If the Himalayas are supreme among mountains and Kashi is supreme among holy cities, the Ganga is supreme among rivers. Jawaharlal Nehru said: "The Ganga especially is the river of India's age-long culture and civilisation, ever changing, ever-flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga."

Poet Jagannath, in his poem, 'Ganga Lahri', approaches the Ganga with total surrender: "I come to you as a child to his mother/ I come as an orphan /To you, moist with love/ I come without refuge/ To you, giver of sacred rest/ I come a fallen man/ To you, uplifter of all./ I come undone by disease/ To you the perfect physician/ I come, my heart dry with thirst/ To you, ocean of sweet wine/ Do with me whatever you will."

It is not only in India but in other parts of the world also that rivers have been referred to as mothers. Volga is Mat Rodanya, that is, mother of the land. Ireland's river Boyne is worshipped as a goddess. The Thai river Mae-nau translates literally as Water Mother. In ancient Egypt, the floods of the Nile were considered the tears of the Goddess Isis.

The name of Ganga appears twice in the Rig Veda. We find references to the Ganga in the Valmiki Ramayana, the Brahmanda Purana, the Devi Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata. A number of Sanskrit poets, including Adi Sankara, have composed beautiful verses in praise of the Ganga.

Our great rivers, including the Ganga, are dying. If we do not succeed in a determined effort to save these important water bodies, we are risking the right of future generations to a healthy, life-enhancing environment. Veda Vyasa said: "Anyone who cuts trees and pollutes rivers commits suicide."

Indian government could not ignore Yogi Raaj Swami Ramdev

Swami Ramdev caused uproar when it was claimed he could cure Aids. Now, however, India's government has recruited him to help halt an obesity epidemic.

Whatever might be said of the yoga master Swami Ramdev, one cannot accuse him of being dull. Clad from head to foot in orange robes, his early morning television show pulls in 20 million viewers in India alone, and there are the usual video and summer camp spin-offs, as well as the more unusual ones, like yoga cruises.

Two years ago, Ramdev triggered a row with the country's health minister after allegedly claiming yoga could cure Aids. He also managed to upset followers of Mahatma Gandhi by appearing to question the contribution he had made to winning India's independence, and he fell out with a female MP who alleged the Ayurvedic treatments produced by the guru's Himalayan laboratory contained human bone.

Now, in the latest addition to his colourful curriculum vitae, Swami Ramdev is being recruited by the government for a new health initiative. In what might seem like a case of selling coal to Newcastle, the Indian Health Ministry wants the guru to help persuade more Indians to take up yoga.

Yoga, which was originally designed to bring about spiritual and physical transformation, was first developed in India more than 3,000 years ago. Ancient seals contain figures in various postures, or asanas, while yoga is mentioned in the Hindu scriptures, the Upanishads. Yet while there have been efforts to introduce yoga in schools and many people may do basic yoga in their homes, only a fraction of the population practises it seriously.

Experts say that in the past decade, growing numbers of Indians have become interested in yoga, not for religious reasons, but for the health benefits that come along with it. Some believe the uptake has also been boosted by the growing popularity of yoga in the US, especially "celebrity styles" such as Bikram yoga, as practised by Madonna and the actor George Clooney. The Indian actress Shilpa Shetty recently produced her own yoga video.

On the face of it, the thinking behind the government's grand yoga plan makes sense. One of the side effects of India's economic growth is that a changing diet and increasingly sedentary lifestyle have created a health crisis. While up to 60 per cent of Indian children under the age of three are malnourished, in urban areas an estimated 20 per cent of men and 30 per cent of women are considered clinically obese. Around 40 million people suffer from diabetes.

Yet there are several peculiar things about the recruitment of the guru by the centrist government, which is led by the Congress Party – not least his affiliation with the far-right organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Even more curious is the fact that the man turning to the guru for help, Anbumani Ramadoss, is the same health minister with whom he had an unseemly public spat two years ago. But that's not what Mr Ramadoss wants to concentrate on.

"We are focusing on preventive health care and we see yoga to be a leader in preventative health care," he explained on the sidelines of an anti-smoking rally at Delhi University. "[Guru Ramdev] is working to help the government. Our vision is that each village should have a yoga teacher."

Swami Ramdev's spokesman said he could not arrange a telephone interview, but the guru confirmed his plan to work with the government via email. "The government of India is willing to help us in our movement for a healthy India, since our aim too is to ensure health to each and every Indian," he said. "The Patanjali Yogpeeth and Health Ministry are eager to work together to build a healthy and an ideal India. Besides, efforts are afoot to reduce or eliminate the use of [carbonated] drinks, fast-foods, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which are causing adverse effects on the health of people."

Soft drink preservative can damage kids' DNA

After the pesticide controversy in India, the soft drinks industry has been hit by another scare. Latest research by a British scientist shows that a preservative used in cold drinks could switch off vital parts of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), causing serious damage to cells particularly in children.

Sodium benzoate or E211 has been used as a preservative for decades by the £74-billion global carbonated drinks industry. It is used to kill yeast, bacteria, and fungi in soft drinks, jam, fruit juice and salad dressing. When mixed with vitamin C, it forms benzene, a carcinogenic substance.

The preservative is also found naturally in cranberries, prunes, greengages, cinnamon, ripe cloves and apples. Peter Piper, a molecular biology expert at Sheffield University, studied the preservative and found that it could damage an important part of DNA called mitochondria. “These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it, they knock it out altogether,” said Piper.

“The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases now being tied to damage to this part of DNA. Parkinson’s and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing can be caused by the damage.”

However, makers of drinks like Coca-Cola, Fanta and Diet Pepsi insisted that experts had rigorously assessed the additive before it had been approved for use. Coca-Cola said all their ingredients had been approved as safe by the food regulatory authorities in Britain and the European Union (EU), from where they take their guidance. A spokesman for Britvic, which makes Diet Pepsi, said: “We will only use ingredients that are thoroughly tested and approved for use by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Britain and approved by the EU.”

Piper claimed that tests on sodium benzoate carried out by the European Union and the US Food and Drug Administration were too old to be reliable, the online edition of the Daily Mail reported on Sunday. “By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago. My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts,” said Piper.

Norman Baker, the chairman of the British Parliament’s all-party environment group, came out with a firm endorsement of Piper’s call for further tests. “Professor Piper has studied this for some years. So, we should be taking his concerns seriously. I will be writing to the FSA to ask them to carry out further investigation, and I would advise parents to make sure there is no over-exposure to these drinks for their children,” said Baker.

In India, the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had earlier tested Pepsi and Coca-Cola products and had announced that it found four toxic residues after testing 12 of their major brands. “Some of these residues were carcinogenic,” claimed CSE director Sunita Narain. As a result of CSE’s report, several states including the Kerala had banned cold drinks manufactured by Pepsi and Coca Cola in their states.

WHO Urges All Countries To Ban Smoking

Swami Ramdev ji is always completely against Smoking and drinking and tells people to leave it completely to get full benefit from yogasan and pranayams.

Considering this fact in mind, I will keep on posting articles against all such things. This is against smoking and none other but World Health Organization (WHO) is endorsing it:-

Coinciding with Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging all countries to bring in a 100 per cent ban on smoking in indoor public places and workplaces and has released its new policy recommendations on protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.

"The evidence is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke," said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan in a prepared statement earlier this week.

"Many countries have already taken action. I urge all countries that have not yet done so to take this immediate and important step to protect the health of all by passing laws requiring all indoor workplaces and public places to be 100 per cent smoke-free," she added.

Tobacco smoke contains 4,000 known chemicals, with more than 50 of them known to cause cancer, said the WHO.

More than 5 million deaths a year are caused by tobacco, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the world. The developing world is seeing the fastest growth in tobacco use, and half of tobacco-related deaths occur there. If this growth continues, 80 per cent of tobacco-related deaths will be in the developing world.

Also, exposure to second hand smoke causes heart disease and premature death in adults due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Workplace exposure to tobacco smoke is estimated to kill 200,000 workers a year, and the WHO estimates that 700 million children, that is half the world's minors, breathe in tobacco smoke, mostly at home.

In the six years between 1999 and 2005, the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted the Global Youth Tobacco Survey where youngsters aged 13 to 15 in 132 countries were interviewed about their exposure and attitude to tobacco smoke. More than three quarters of the youngsters favoured a ban on smoking in public places.

The survey also showed that 44 per cent of the young interviewees breathed in tobacco smoke at home while 56 per cent of them were exposed to it in public places.

The WHO is not alone in highlighting the dangers to children from second hand smoke. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), breathing in second hand smoke harms children by causing "asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), bronchitis and pneumonia and ear infections".

The EPA suggests that American children's exposure to second hand smoke is responsible for:

• An increase in the number of asthma attacks and severity of symptoms in 200,000 to 1 million children with asthma.
• Between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (for children under 18 months), and
• Respiratory tract infections that result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospital admissions every year.

They point out that young children's lungs are particularly susceptible to second hand smoke because they are still developing, breathe more rapidly than adults and they don't control their environment. Children exposed to high levels of second hand smoke, and this is particularly the case if their mothers smoke, are more likely to have poor health.

The WHO's new policy recommendations draw on the conclusions of three new major reports:

• Monograph 83 Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
• The United States Surgeon General's Report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, and
• The California Environmental Protection Agency's Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant.

The WHO are also keen to highlight the cost that smoking incurs on people, businesses and society, not just as a result of disease. This includes loss of productivity and material costs to enterprises that have to renovate and clean workplaces, pay higher insurance premiums, and run an increased risk of fire.

The end of next month, on 30th June in Bangkok, sees the start of the Second Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, where participating countries will discuss the practicalities of protection against exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.

Acting Director of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative, Dr Douglas Bettcher, speaking about the Second Conference of the Parties, said that:

"This topic should matter to everyone, because everyone benefits from smoke-free places."

"With this year's theme, we hope that everyone, especially policy makers and employers, will be inspired to claim, create and enjoy spaces that are 100 per cent free from tobacco smoke. By doing so, we keep the bodies inside those spaces smoke-free too, and greatly increase our effectiveness in preventing serious diseases and saving lives in future generations," he added.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated all over the world in different ways, with marches, workshops to help people stop smoking, educational meetings, and various campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of second hand smoke.

Last year, Michael R Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, announced his intention to donate 125 million dollars over the next two years toward ending the global tobacco epidemic. The money will be awarded in the form of grants, and applications are sought from the 15 high burden countries in particular: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, the Russian Federation, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam.

Interview for BBC

The BBC's Hindi Service is running a series of interviews to discover the unknown side of India's newsmakers. Here, the service's India editor Sanjeev Srivastava talks to yoga guru, Swami Ramdev.

here is the BBC interview

http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/ekmulaqat7jan.mp3

He is hardly the kind of icon one would associate with a new, vibrant and technology savvy India. But for millions across the country, there can be no bigger trendsetter in recent years than Swami Ramdev, also known as Baba Ramdev.

The maverick yoga guru and practitioner of India's ancient medical science, Ayurveda, commands a tremendous hold over public imagination. So how come Swami Ramdev has made it so big in a country where maniacal fan following is usually the exclusive preserve of Bollywood and cricket superstars? The truth is - nobody really has a clue.

Yoga has been practised in India for centuries and there have been several celebrated yoga teachers in the country before. The ancient practice has been elaborated in great detail in historical treatises and texts and Swami Ramdev cannot be credited with inventing it.

Against dogma
Also, whichever yoga teacher one chooses to follow, the basic principles remain the same. So what has he done that has bestowed this unlikely stardom on him? In a country full of religious gurus and saints, Swami Ramdev does not even claim to be God's messenger or a God man.

If anything, he condemns all superstition and retrogressive beliefs. "I don't believe in destiny. Palmistry and all this talk about the lines on your hands deciding your future is nothing but nonsense. So is this talk of sun signs and auspicious and inauspicious time and place," he says.

"Can you identify any moment or place where God is not there? He is everywhere and all the time. So how can any place or time be less or more auspicious?" he asks.

Secretive
Perhaps it is his unique way of logical reasoning which attracts millions to him. Maybe it is his enigmatic persona - he is quite secretive and refuses to divulge his age or any other details about his background. And, he is candid enough to admit that it is a marketing mantra.

"There should be an element of mystery. If everything is known about me, people will be less interested. Till the time they know little about me, they are always curious to know more. It's human nature," he explains.

I think it is his lack of spirituality which attracts his legion of followers most.

After all, there is no shortage of conmen and God men in India who promise to deliver a better after-life, salvation and a life in heaven. But for all of these you have to be dead first. Baba Ramdev offers you something more immediate - you do not have to die to benefit from him. That is why he is modern India's material guru.

He promises you a stress-free, disease-free and healthy life. He even assures cures for several diseases like asthma, blood pressure disorders, heart ailments and even cancer. All these claims are debatable, but his millions of disciples do not seem to care.

After all, there is nothing to lose as yoga has no harmful side effects.

Simple and easy
So thousands throng the early morning yoga camps of Baba Ramdev, now organised almost all through the year in different corners of India. Some television channels also decided to cash in on the Baba's popularity and a couple of years ago, they started beaming live his yoga training sessions.

Soon enough the popularity rating of the TV channel patronised by the Baba went up sharply as hundreds of thousands of yoga enthusiasts started their day with Baba Ramdev's lessons on breathing exercises. There is perhaps another reason behind his popularity. Yoga may be ancient, but he has certainly re-invented it by making it very simple and easy to practise. One need not have an acrobatic, supple and flexible body to practice the Ramdev brand of yoga.

"Earlier I also used to try the really difficult asans [postures]. But gradually I understood there is no need to push and punish oneself needlessly. So now I practise and teach simple breathing exercises which keep one healthy and stress-free," he says. "Life is not for doing yoga. Yoga is for making life better," he adds. There is little known about his past and he does not reveal much.

"I joined a gurukul or a traditional Indian residential school at the age of nine. I used to do nearly 500 push-ups at a time and run about 5km every day. I loved wrestling and could easily defeat an opponent twice as heavy as myself," he says, talking about his early days.

"It was about 20 years ago that I turned to Pranayam [a yogic exercise largely guided by breathing techniques]. Then I also met my yoga guru who asked me to concentrate more on breathing exercises. That's been my life since then," he adds. Baba Ramdev lives a simple life. He dresses in the saffron robes of Hindu ascetics and is a frugal eater, who has not eaten any grains for over 10 years now.

"I never waste time having breakfast. I eat two meals a day and I eat only boiled vegetables and fruits," he says. The only drink he has - besides water - is cow milk. He sleeps on the floor and does not need more than four hours of sleep a night. And, he is a brahmachari sanyasi or a bachelor ascetic.

Not Gandhian
So is he never attracted to women? After all, among his disciples are some very attractive Bollywood actresses. "The thought never crosses my mind. I think I have taken birth to propagate yoga and good values," he says. But the Baba is not all Gandhian.

He loves a good fight and never shies away from controversy. He has quite often courted controversy with his criticism of multinationals - particularly cola giants like Coke and Pepsi - as well as tobacco and liquor manufacturers. Only last month he was in the news for a public spat he had with the federal health minister who asked Baba Ramdev to only concentrate on yoga and not run down Western or allopathic medicine without reason.

"I am not against the Western system of medicine. But why should the minister get so upset if I say that yoga has a beneficial impact on those suffering from heart problems or even cancer? Why does he want me to play down the benefits of yoga when people have benefited from them," he asks?

"In any case what can these governments do? A Saddam can be hanged for killing 142 people. Tobacco companies manufacture death for millions every year. Has one person ever been punished," he wants to know?

Healing the World

And when it comes to healings, the testimonies are legion.

Eight years ago, Shakhdav M Devashryee lost all hope when he lost his sight. In January 2004, he learned yog by listening to Swami Ramdev on TV. He says, "That was my turning point. My confidence level shot up and I was determined to follow the path of my yog teacher and change the lives of many others the way he changed mine. I also wanted to establish victory over my own handicap. Till date, I have taught yog in 11 jails and formed many clubs."

Jayshree Desai, 47, yog teacher based in Mumbai, also narrates her life-changing experience: "I was diagnosed with Hepatitis B, and deemed incurable. My friend introduced me to Swami Ramdev's yog on TV. When I practised it, my acute condition stabilised, and soon to the amazement of doctors, the disease vanished! I resolved to become a yog teacher and have conducted many camps in India as well as in Mexico, Norway and San Diego."

Manik Juneja, a technopreneur from Delhi, says, "My father is suffering from end stage renal failure. His creatinine level was 11, whereas normal creatinine level is around 1. The nephrologist was considering putting him on haemodialysis, when my father started doing pranayaam twice daily, after watching Baba Ramdev's yog camp on TV. Within two months, his creatinine level came down to 5.8. His blood pressure and blood sugar levels are also under control now."

An all-round panacea, yog came to the help of Raghav Dutta, a 23-year old national-level swimmer from Delhi, who says, "After every swimming session, I used to get obdurate cramps in my legs. On my coach's insistence, I attended a week-long yog camp with Swami Ramdev and the cramps just dissolved. I never collected my X-ray reports from the pathology lab."

Swami Ramdev prescribes a blend of home remedies, ayurvedic medicine and yog to combat all diseases. He says, "A day will come when yog and ayurveda will become mainstream therapy."

Firm in his belief that these two disciplines can alone heal mankind of most if not all ailments, he has enlisted millions of practitioners into his bandwagon, including allopathic medical practitioners.

Ashok Chandra, an MBBS-turned-yog guru attached to Swami Ramdev's outfit, says, "I suffered from chronic spondylitis that allopathy could not cure. A couple of years ago I started Swami Ramdev's yog. Bingo, the pain dissolved. Persistence was and is the main key. Eventually, I gave up my medical practice to learn yog." He chortles and adds, "I was proud to be an MBBS, now I am even prouder to be a yog guru."

Yog has always been a non-sectarian discipline, emphasising the universalities of breath, focus and flexibility. Little wonder then that Swami Ramdev's appeal cuts across all sectarian divide.

Doctor Anwar Ali Rana, a yog teacher trained by Swami Ramdev, says, "When I went for Haj, I wanted people residing in the sacred land to realise the magic of Swamiji's yog, so I conducted four camps at Mecca and Madina and also trained three men to teach the practice." He adds, "Honey will always taste sweet to all; the masses at Mecca and Madina embraced yog without a seed of doubt."

Thanks to Aastha's international channel, Swami Ramdev's popularity is spreading over the whole of the Asian continent, as well as Australia, Europe, Africa and even America. Jonas D, an Australian social worker, ardently follows Swami Ramdev's telecasts. He says, "Bloggers from all around the globe were singing praises of the Indian yog guru. I had to try it out, and I must say it was a matter of few days when I felt a boost of energy in my entire system."

Teleguru Par Excellence

Swami Ramdev first shot into the limelight in December 2003 on Aastha channel. Almost instantly, he made an impact, which spiralled with every passing day. In time, he began to parlay his popularity through giant camps of a magnitude never before attempted. More than 20,000 people register for attendance, even though admission is not cheap by any means.

People pay close to Rs 5,000 for the privilege of sitting near the podium, while even the furthest seat commands Rs 500. It is said that he charges Rs 5 lakh for a one-on-one session. Today, all his camps are being telecast live for those who cannot afford to attend them personally.

His first foray abroad with four camps at UK beginning on July 15, may well trigger the beginning of a worldwide yog yatra. Already, he has earned the title of the most likeable Indian in a poll in Pakistan.

His meteoric rise in less than three years can be attributed in part to the power of television. Aastha's spokesperson once said, Swami Ramdev has been to it what Amitabh Bachchan was to Star Plus, a one-man army that has sent TRPs soaring. Arvind Joshi, Distribution Head of Aastha channel, says, "There has been a manifold increase in our TRPs."

Today, Swami Ramdev is a fixture there, appearing twice daily, once in the morning at 5 and again at 8.20 pm. The channel also gives copious publicity to his camps.

Swami Ramdev appears on other channels as well such as Sahara Samay and India TV, eliciting a frenetic response.

The Messiah of Yog

In two-and-a-half short years, swami ramdev has galvanized the great indian public into turning ardent practitioners of yog and pranayama. in the process, millions are losing weight, healing from various ailments and making a bid for optimum wellness

Sneak into any household in India between 5 and 7 am and chances are good that you will find someone sitting cross-legged in front of the television intently following the instructions of a saffron-clad sanyasi, with dishevelled shoulder length hair, eyes that are just slightly crossed and shoulders that are tilted to one side. As the swami parts the folds of his angavastram, he reveals a sinuous, fit physique and when he practises his trademark kapal bhatti, his stomache subsides into a deep hollow, sharply outlining his ribs. No prizes for guessing the name of the yogi. Could it be anyone other than Swami Ramdev?

Seated before a camp of 20,000 or more participants, the swami punctuates his easy banter with a joke or two, or with a request for a testimony. These are inevitably fulsome, describing either a loss of weight, or recovery from one or the other ailment. Occasionally, he extols the great Vedic heritage of India and urges his followers to adhere to it, or ventures into a fluid narration of kitchen remedies for various disorders. Unsurprisingly, he delivers periodic broadsides against western influence, particularly the use of aerated drinks and junk food.

The camera dwells lovingly on the heavyweights sitting in the front row, who range from politicos such as the chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, chief minister of Chattisgarh, Dr Raman Singh, to film star Hema Malini, and business tycoons, Rahul Bajaj and B K Modi.

None of this would be remarkable in itself but for the fact that in less than two-and-a-half years, this innocuous yogi has single-handedly spearheaded a major national revolution in health and general wellbeing through the systematic practice of yog.

Observes Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living, whose runaway popularity has only been challenged in recent times by Swami Ramdev, "If an individual can be credited with reviving yog in this country, it is solely Swami Ramdev. Yog can cure even fatal diseases and Swami Ramdev has definitely proved it time and again. Swami Ramdev has spread yog to such an extent that sooner or later, one has to embrace it."

Agrees Life Positive columnist and yog teacher Shameem Akhtar, "He is the first person to have popularised yog in India at the mass level."

Adds Santosh Sachdeva, author of books on kundalini, such as the Kundalini Diary, "Every morning when I go for my walk, I see people sitting on benches and practising his anulom vilom and kapal bhatti. Even my physician does it. It's astounding to see how one man has changed human consciousness at such a mass level."

Swami Ramdev is living testimony to the power of one. Throughout history, individuals have been the fulcrum that has shifted society to new eras and paradigms. Whether it is the Buddha, Jesus Christ, Marx or Mahatma Gandhi, each created a revolution in ideas and action. Today, it is the turn of Swami Ramdev to create a watershed in Yog awareness. This 5,000-year-old philosophy and practice has been so far restricted to tiny pockets and organisations and has over the years gained more popularity in the West than in the land of its origin. It was left to Swami Ramdev to explode out of all limitations and bring it within the reach of every man.

Today, there's scarcely anyone in the country who has access to a TV, who is not familiar with his name. Lisps four-year-old Sarika, "I like the way Ramdev uncle pulls his stomach in and moves it like a ball. See I can also do it." She sucks her stomach in and surprisingly, she is good for her age.

Shankaracharya Swami Divyanand of Bhanpura Peeth credits Swami Ramdev's Yog for reducing his obesity. There has even been a camp at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on APJ Abdul Kalam's insistence.

Observes film star Hema Malini, "I have personally benefitted a lot by following Swami Ramdev's Yog. Being a dancer, flexibility is very essential. Regular Yog keeps my body well toned and active. I have experienced great relief in my knee joints. Even my skin is glowing better than ever."

Others extol his virtues lavishly, crossing the frontier of hyperbole. Says Kirit Bhaiji, member of the Tulsi Seva Charitable Trust, "We have not been able to keep our country united, either through food, bhajans, language, religion nor culture. Unity in all aspects is possible only through Shri Ramdev's Yog."

Life History of Yogi Raaj

Swami Ramdev (born in 1965), also known as Baba Ramdev, is a Yog Guru. Yog is something not new, but its essence somehow got lost in the mists of time. People knew about it but very few were practicing is emphatically. Almost a decade ago Swami Ramdev reanimated the scope of yog and ayurveda. He has scientifically evolved prananyaam as well as yog, which were previously comprehended by Patanjali and many other well versed gurus.

Early life
Ramdev was born as Ramkishan Yadav in Alipur, in the Mahendragarh district of Indian state of Haryana. He attended school through the eight grade in Shahjadpur. Thereafter, he joined a yogic monastery (gurukul) in Khanpur village to study Sanskrit and Yog. Eventually, he renounced worldly life and entered into Sanyas (monastic living) - taking the name Swami Ramdev. Then he went to Jind district and joined the Kalva gurukul and offered free Yog training to villagers across Haryana. It is said that he travelled the Himalayas for several years before he settled in Haridwar. He discovered several medicinal plants in the Himalayas which he uses in treating his patients. Ramdev started relentless efforts to popularise Yog in 1995 with the establishment of Divya Yog Mandir Trust along with Acharya Karamveer.

Life
In 1995, Ramdev joined the order of swamis after being initiated into the ascetic order by Swami Shankerdevji Maharaj. While training to be a Swami, Ramdev spent many years undertaking an intense and thorough study of ancient Indian scriptures. At the same time, he also practiced intense self-discipline and meditation. He teaches that God resides in every human being and that the body is God's temple. He is a firm believer in the concept of Vasudaiv Kutambakam (the whole World is one family) and decries practices that discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or gender. His fundamental belief is that expressions of love, affection and compassion towards all living things are the true worship of the Creator.

Work and Teaching
Ramdev has taught several aspects of traditional Indian scriptures such as Ashtadhyayee, Mahabhashya and Upanishads along with six systems of Indian Philosophy in various Gurukuls (traditional Indian systems of education). He has helped establish Gurukuls in Kishangarh, Ghashera, and Mahendragarh in India. He has also founded the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust which has built several institutions. In addition to helping people learn about Yog and spirituality, these institutions also provide a comprehensive facility that promotes the practice of Ayurveda - the traditional system of holistic medicine developed in India. He teaches Pranayama which is a series of techniques for breath control that were developed as a part of the ancient Indian system of Yog. Heretofore, these techniques were often thought of as being esoteric and complex and portrayed as being unsuitable for lay people. Consequently, their use was often limited to advanced practitioners of Yog and undertaken only under the strict supervision of an experienced teacher. Ramdev has worked to break these barriers and help make the practice of Pranayama achievable by the ordinary layperson. His educational show is broadcast on Indian national TV (AASTHA channel) from morning 6-8 am and evening 8-9 pm (IST) several times a week and he also has dedicated shows such as Total Tandurusti airing on Zee network, a show on Sahara One at 9:00 am, Yog Science on IndiaTV at 7:30 am & 1:30 pm [2]. Total viewership is in millions. According to the synopsis that is available to Sky Digital viewers, Ramdev " was a paralytic" prior to taking up Yog. He has been conducting Yog Science camps regularly all over the country, and sometimes abroad as well. In 2006, the Ramdev spent almost a month in London teaching Pranayam and Yog. Total attendance in these camps exceeds tens of thousands. Viewers of the TV show and attendees at the camp have reported significant improvements in their health - citing relief from many illnesses such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Hypertension.

Pranayama
The Pranayama programme as taught by Swami Ramdev consists of the following seven key breathing exercises (in sequence):

• Bhastrika Pranayam
• Kapal Bhati Pranayam
• Bahaya Pranayam
• Anulom Vilom Pranayama
• Bhramri Pranayam
• Udgeeth Pranayam
• Pranab Dwani