Naturopathy centers in India

The three most popular naturopathy centers in India

1. Nisargopchar – Urli Kanchan – Pune
2. Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram – Haridwar
3. Jindal’s Naturopathy Center – Banglore

We have stayed in Urli Kanchan (3 weeks) and Yog Gram (10 days)

1. Nisargopchar, Urli Kanchan

Website – http://nisargopcharashram.org/

Nearest City – Pune
Minimum Stay – 1 week
Maximum Stay – 1 month (21 days in busy period i.e. summer holidays)
Accommodation – Starts at about INR 100 a day in dorm room for one person to INR 900 a day in the luxurious rooms.
Food – Based on the prescribed diet. All items served as charged at cost price, so expect to spend about 100 – 200 a day.
Treatments – All treatments are included in the room price except massage and physiotherapy. Massage costs about 80 – 100 a day depending on weight.Physiotherapy at INR 50 a session
Yoga – 1 Hr of Yoga every morning
Meditation – 3 days a week in the evening.
Prayer – 30mins every evening
Lecture –  1 – 2 lectures a day
Initial Check and Registration – INR 300
Booking Method – By Phone or Fax, then deposit INR 500 per patient. Remaining amount to be paid on arrival.
Waiting Times – Usually a month.

2. Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram , Haridwar

Website  – http://www.yoggram.divyayoga.com
Nearest City – Haridwar
Minimum Stay – 1 Week
Maximum Stay – 50 days
Accommodation – Four Options ranging from INR 1500 a day for two to about INR a day 3000.
Food – Included in the accommodation price
Treatments – Included in the price
Yoga – 1 hr morning , 1 hr evening
Prayer – 1-2 times daily
Lecture – 2 times daily
Initial Check up and registration – INR 300
Booking Method – Website. There is an online form which you need to fill in and someone from the center will get in touch with you asking for more details if needed.
Waiting times – Usually about 2 weeks, we were able to get a booking for 1 week ahead

Comparison (We will refer to Nisargopchar Urli Kanchan as Urli Kanchan. Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram as Yoggram)

1. Success Stories

Both Centers have many successful stories of curing patients with diseases like arthritis, paralysis, dengue fever etc. The most common method for curing such diseases is long term water fast from 21 days up to 40 – 50 days. We were one success story, Ishwinder had a throat problem for about 4 months, which became incurable despite taking the strongest antibiotics for about 3 months. She fasted 10 out of 15 days we stayed at Urli Kanchan and was 90% recovered, she followed it up with a sensible diet and a yoga course and is completely healthy now.

2. Weight Loss
Urli Kanchan – Both of us lost about 7kgs each in the 15 days we stayed.
Yoggram – We are at YogGram as I write this, and the weight loss hasn’t been as significant in the 5 days we have been here. Lost about 1.5kgs each.

3. Yoga
Urli Kanchan – 1 hr of Yoga each Morning each morning more focus on Asanas and yoga is a replacement for Physical Exercise.
Yoggram – 2 hrs of Yoga each day. Focus is on Pranayam as most patients are above 45 years old.

4. Treatments
Urli Kanchan – Equipments, Treatment Centers are a little outdated, but that does not affect the quality of the treatments.
Yoggram – Treatment Centers have most new age technological treatments and the quality of treatments is a little better than Urli Kanchan.

In both the centers, women treatment wards have more waiting times compared to men, same rule applies for the number of patients.

5. Diet
Urli Kanchan – They seem to have gotten their training from Hitler, if you doctor has prescribed 100gm of boiled vegetables, they might serve you 99gms but not 101. They are super strict with the diets.
Yoggram – Diets are prescribed by the doctors but there is no control on the portion size, so you can find yourself eating 1 kg water melon for lunch because your doctor prescribed Water Melon.

6. Doctors
Urli Kanchan – The most caring doctors in the world. The doctors act as if they are your personal doctors, you will find them visiting you in your rooms if they are aware that you are even slightly unwell.
Yoggram – The most cold doctors in the world. They don’t seem to like their jobs and behave the way most of do in our offices. We simply act disinterested. They only do as much as they are paid for.

7. Medication
Urli Kanchan –  The doctors have taken Naturopathy to another level. If you regularly take any allopathic medicines which can be reduced with Naturopathy Treatments, the doctor will ensure they try it out when you are staying in the ashram. If they have suggested any changes to your medication, they will take extra care and do regular check ups to make sure you stay healthy.
Yoggram – Doctors simply refuse to alter your medicines.

8. Staff (Employees)
Urli Kanchan – They are bureaucratic and very friendly. Most of them don’t seem to be living in today’s world, they are never in a rush, follow all the rules, don’t make exceptions.
Yoggram – The staff is mostly young, and we found them quite rude on a number of occasions. Most of them don’t do the work well.

9. Focus
Urli Kanchan – Truly practice Naturopathy. Focus is completely on food. They cure you with food. Treatments, yoga are secondary.
Yoggram – Yoga especially pranayam and treatments are the focus here. Ample healthy food is given here.

10. Rooms
Urli Kanchan – The newly built rooms are nicer, the old ones need to be renovated.
Yoggram – All rooms are newly built and are in a good condition as of now.

11. Feel
Urli Kanchan – It is an ashram started under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi and still retains the feeling.
Yoggram – It feels like a budget friendly health center, which has about 300 acres of land and lots of money and vision from Baba Ramdev.

12. Other Stuff
Urli Kanchan – Sundays are half days, meaning you are free after Lunch i.e. 10:30 – 11AM.
Yoggram – No off days, there is a lake in the premises. Activities such as Horse Riding, Camel Riding as made available for the entertainment of the guests.

Our Verdict.

If you want a no non-sense place, where the focus is completely on your health and the results are drastic go to Urli Kanchan. If you want a 7 day retreat, where you are not away from anything, then Yoggram is the place for you.

Urli Kanchan takes you back in time, you feel like you are living in an ashram, you forget what a TV looks like. At Yoggram, you have the option to take fancy rooms where you get tv in your room along with a set top box. There is a modern feel to the place, and the setting is quite picturesque. We loved Urli Kanchan more than Yoggram. if you want a taste of what naturopathy is like, and you don’t want too much change in your diet, then Yoggram is good enough but Urli Kanchan is the real thing.