Leisure Providers and Consumers: A Case of Art of Living

Leisure in public life has declined, however, the commercialization of leisure and recreation is catching up at fast speed.  In the contemporary time, on the one side, we find that leisure and recreation is around family or in the intimate association.  On the other hand, people are more and more engaged with television, video games, computers, ipads, internet, chatting devices.  The entertainment and leisure activities with the electronic devices are more of a commercializing in its nature.  At the same time people are also in search of leisure moving towards visiting Ashrams for “Art of Living”.  Vast numbers of people are regularly visiting Ashrams at different places.  This activity has also enormous growth and commodification and becoming popular in world and particularly in India.    It is not only becoming popular among the old age people but also becoming popular among the younger lot also.  Going out in the Ashrams for “Art of living” is also more relying on market principles.  Thus, in the present paper we will discuss about the consumers of leisure i.e. “art of living” and providers (Gurus) of leisure.  Further we will also focus on some of the specific selected “Ashrama” and look into their various activities.