Madonna and the ‘healing power’

New Delhi, July 20: Sting had mastered it. Madonna ushered it into the Celebrity Hall of Fame and now the ministry of tourism wants to ensure that there are enough trainers to get ordinary tourists hooked on to its miraculous powers of well-being.

The ministry plans to promote institutes to develop skills in yoga and traditional systems of medicine to portray India as the global destination for wellness.

The first institute of this kind will come up in Sikkim.

The institution is a partnership between the state government and the ministries of tourism and health. “We are in dialogue with the department of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy (Ayush) to draw up plans to produce the content for trainers,” a senior official of the ministry said. “Sikkim has taken the lead, but we hope more such institutes will come up in the future.”

“These institutes will provide an opportunity to learn from a place that is recognised by the government. This way we can even guarantee the quality of people in the business,” the official added.

The school will not only impart skills on essential asanas, but also the healing touch of Indian medicines.

“The focus will not be limited to ayurveda though.

“There are other kinds of medicines too and the idea is to promote different Indian ways of healing.”

China has already cashed in on its healing-products market and PTI had recently reported a white paper claim, which said the industrial output value of traditional Chinese medicine touched $25.98 billion last year.

Yoga, which Jennifer Aniston has claimed to have saved her after her spilt with Brad Pitt, has been one of India’s most successful exports to the US, but its effectiveness has caught the imagination even in South Africa.

On popular demand, the ministry of tourism is organising a food festival with a yoga practitioner thrown in.

“So far, Ayush has concentrated only on very theoretical knowledge,” the official said. “In these institutes, we will focus on developing India as a wellness destination to cater to a market.”

While the ministry of tourism so far has only been promoting destinations in India that specialise in rejuvenation skills (for example Kerala with its spas), this is the first time that it is planning to get involved in manpower training.

“The government is also in talks with the private sector so that students who have come out of this institute get absorbed,” a senior official said.

With healing being the new buzzword even in India and countless spas mushrooming across cities, the ministry hopes that its trained Indian healing practitioners will get employment.