In an invitation extended to city residents, officials of the Vidyapith have expressed hope that the new facilities will be of use to the people at large and that the art gallery would serve as a platform for young and budding artists.

Set up in 1970 -- by pioneers Kalyanji Mehta, Jyotsnaben Shukla, Chinubhai Bhatt and others after acquiring land from the government at the Chowk Bazaar area just opposite to the museum -- the trust runs a full-fledged library containing over 35,000 books. It also conducts over 130 courses and organises about 300 training camps at the bhawan throughout the year educating more than 12,000 students annually.

The courses run by the Vidyapith include self-employment courses, social sciences, informal education, personality development courses, courses on health and nutrition among others.

The new conference room has all modern facilities including a stage, lighting facilities, sound systems and adequate seating arrangements. The Bhawan also has another auditorium on the first floor, which will be used for smaller events, according to secretary Rajnikant Sheth.

The art gallery will serve as a platform for upcoming artists to exhibit their works, besides being useful for Vidyapith students, Sheth added.