Ashgabat(Turkmenistan)

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today inaugurated a Traditional Medicine and Yoga Centre in Ashgabat. He also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi. Speaking at the occasion, after witnessing a Yoga demonstration, the Prime Minister said that this was an occasion of immense happiness for him – where children greeted him in Hindi, a bhajan was sung as the bust of the Mahatma was unveiled, and some Yoga asanas were demonstrated so accurately.

The Prime Minister referred to his meeting with Turkmenistan President Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov earlier today, and said that the President had said this was a small beginning towards his vision of a world class Yoga Centre, which would demonstrate the effects of Yoga to people.

Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, the Prime Minister said the solutions to two big problems facing mankind today – terrorism and climate change – could be found in the life and thought of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Prime Minister hoped that the Yoga Centre and the Mahatma Gandhi bust would spread a positive message across Central Asia.