So, like thousands of other stressed-out code writers and call-centre workers in India's southern technological hub, he took up meditation.

"Different time zones and food habits take a toll on your body and mind. Stress at the workplace worsens it," says 31-year-old Patel, who now makes it a daily habit to meditate for half-an-hour.

"The effect is immediate. Half an hour of meditation is equivalent to three to four hours of sleep," says Patel, whose firm has a dedicated yoga room.

For those who prefer a more active form of stress-busting, there's an ever-mushrooming choice of yoga centers, specialised spas, gyms, jacuzzis, spas and swimming pools.

Major software companies like Infosys Technologies and Wipro Ltd. have long recognised the problem of stress and have built in-house recreational centres where employees can unwind after long and demanding hours of constant pressure.

Now private companies too are jumping in to help those buckling under stress to create a "balance between work and life".

The Art of Living Foundation, an international non-profit and charitable organisation with a presence in 142 countries, says more than 400 code writers enroll every month to learn meditation.

The organisation's volunteers impart training based on India's ancient art of yoga which combines meditation, breathing and physical exercises during the 1,000-rupee (22 dollar) week-long courses at 20 centers spread across Bangalore.

"On average we spend about nine to 10 hours at work daily and face different pressures," says Anandh Venkatraman, a senior software employee with technology consulting firm Sapient.

"There are times when I thought I would not pull through. The business itself is aggressive and deadlines are hard. There is pressure both from junior and senior employees. Meditation helps me to maintain my calm," he tells AFP.

Bangalore is home to more than 1,500 global and domestic firms currently riding the outsourcing boom.

More than 300,000 software professionals are employed in the city, many of them having to work at night due to a 12-hour time difference with the United States, which accounts for 68 percent of its total software exports of 17.2 billion dollars.

Most of the outsourcing firms have late hour shifts which employees say adds to stress.

Other code writers say peer and family pressures are also major factors.

"The moment you see your colleagues going abroad stress starts working on you," says Tithi Pathik, a consultant with Indian software major Infosys.

"For me, being a woman, I have to take care of the family and compete with my male colleagues equally, if not better. That to many is a situation which is stressed," the 28-year-old says.

- 'It is a direct fallout of lifestyle' -

Software employees are not alone in aiding the growth of relaxation centers.

Top-notch technology chief executive officers and venture capitalists are also opening their wallets to beat stress and keep themselves at their competitive best.

In downtown Bangalore, Bhanu Moorthy, chief of Prithvi Natural Healing and Yoga, charges upwards of 1,250 rupees for an hour of his "holistic therapy".

Moorthy says he combines acupressure, acupuncture, the aroma of flower, herbs and roots, counselling, hydrotherapy which uses the turbulence of water to tone the body, mud and traditional herbal therapy and yoga to cure stress.

"On an average there are four to five people walking in daily for a therapy which lasts for between three and four weeks," he tells AFP.

"About 45 percent of my clients are from the information technology business. It includes top officials and juniors," he adds.

An expert in India's herbal treatment of ayurveda, Moorthy says stress is a direct fallout of poor lifestyle.

"Massages, aromatherapy and yoga are the best treatments when it comes to beating stress. In some people it will not manifest and the people who bottle it up are the worst sufferers," he said.

K. Sunil of Limelite, a unisex salon and spa located within a kilometre (mile) of Prithvi, recommends "oxygen facial therapy" for stress.

"Each sitting costs 2,500 rupees and the whole treatment takes three weeks. Some techies do come for the therapy," he says.

A year ago, beauty consultant Jeena Mitra, wife of Shivaji Mitra, a software consultant with US software giant Oracle, opened Fussion spa specialising in aroma therapy.

"An aromatic bath consisting of roses and other herbal products can be the best stress-buster. We have about 300 clients and a quarter of them are software engineers," Jeena Mitra says. "An aromatic massage can also help."

In Bangalore more than 50 gyms also have opened up offering aerobics, Western and Latin American dance classes and physical fitness.

Najib Aga, who was a member of India's judo team for the 1996 Olympics, launched his Energy gym nine months ago.

"The result was startling. I have 500 registered members of whom 300 are from the software industry. They do not want to build muscles but work out for an hour or so to overcome stress," Aga says.

-- Mediocre jobs with no creativity --

Ali Khwaja, chief of Helping Hand, a body which has been offering free psychological counselling services for the last 22 years, said there has been a sharp rise in the number of technology employees on the rolls.

"It is definitely related to lifestyle. To that if you add the changing face of personal relationships and work pressure then it assumes an entirely different dimension," Khwaja tells AFP.

"The number of programmers coming for counselling has shot up four times compared to a year ago. They (techies and call centre employees) realise that it is a very mediocre job involving no creativity. They also know it is not a secure job. But they are so enamored with where they have reached," he says.

Khwaja says the concept of a "fun atmosphere" being encouraged by technology firms in their facilities to fight attrition induced "flirtation" which ended up breaking relationships.

"Cases of physical abuse are on the rise among these employees, who are among the most educated. It surprises me. Very few take cognizance of stress. It is cumulative and leaves a residue every time," he says.

"On the face of it they look to be globe-trotters with a high degree of financial independence but they are very prone to stress which breaks them," Khwaja adds.

Brunda Amruthraj, a consulting clinical psychologist, agrees and says tough competition, "unrealistic expectations from superiors", and the "inability to accept failure" are haunting software professionals.

"They go through a lot of anxiety, depression and loneliness because of their work environment and often have lower self-esteem and dissatisfaction. This reflects itself in the form of social, marital and sexual problems," she says.

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