Narendra Modi inaugurates 'Arogya Van' near Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Kevadiya village

Kevadiya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated ‘Arogya Van, a garden housing medicinal plants and herbs, near the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya village of Gujarat’s Narmada district.

Arogya Van (health forest) is spread over an area of about 17 acres, displaying a wide range of medicinal plants that play an important role in the well-being of human beings, said a release by the authorities.

It is one of the 17 projects to be inaugurated by the prime minister on Friday and Saturday near the Statue of Unity, a towering monument dedicated to Sardar Patel which has emerged as a popular tourist attraction in Gujarat. The health forest also emphasises the importance of yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation in people’s lives.

Five lakh plants of 380 selected species have been grown in the sprawling garden, the release said. The Arogya Van comprises a lotus pond, alba garden, aroma garden, yoga, and meditation garden, indoor plant section, digital information centre, a souvenir shop, and a cafeteria serving Ayurveda foods, among other things, it said.

Modi also visited the digital information centre and the indoor plant garden created inside the Arogya Van. The prime minister moved around in the Arogya Van on a golf cart and also interacted with guides posted there for the benefit of tourists.