Vaidyaratnam Vrindavan Ayurveda Chikitsalayam | I have never been to a wellness facility before. Put it down to my sceptical nature about the evidential benefits of relaxation therapies or my belief that holistic wellbeing requires a systemic approach that transcends individual efforts—whatever the reason, wellness as the “in” thing does not tickle my fancy at all.
So imagine my trepidation when I was booked for a wellness holiday at an Ayurvedic retreat in Himachal Pradesh. As I packed my bags for the train to Chandigarh, I wondered what I would encounter at the retreat, and whether I was the right person to go.
After an engine failure delayed the train journey by two hours, I was whisked away into a hired car that would take me to Vaidyaratnam Vrindavan Ayurveda Chikitsalayam (VVAC). The name may be a handful, but every word hints at the offerings to come.
Arriving at VVAC after an hour-long road journey through the dusty towns and hills of the Baddi district, I could scarcely believe my eyes when we pulled into the driveway. The lush greenery of the place struck me first, quickly followed by an enveloping silence broken only by the sounds of birds, insects and the swaying of trees. I noticed that the summer sun did not beat down on me like it did in Delhi. Here, it was sharp, yes, but I barely broke into a sweat when out and about during the entirety of my trip.
Let’s take a moment to explain the name of this wellness retreat. Vaidyaratnam refers to an Ayurvedic pharmaceutical company and medical college from Thrissur, Kerala. Its owners are one of eight families that traditionally practised one of the eight branches of Ayurveda (the formal name for which is ashtavaidyam).
The name Vrindavan pays homage to Hindu deity Krishna’s childhood town; the owners are devout worshippers of the deity, so much so that the buildings are named after him, the posters and prints in the rooms feature excerpts from the “Bhagavad Gita,” and speakers located all across the premises play flute music and sounds that evoke a spiritual atmosphere.
Ayurveda refers to the ancient Hindu system of medicine that focuses on achieving balance in the body, mind and spirit. It emphasises the use of natural treatments, including herbal remedies, diet, yoga and meditation.
Chikitsalayam means a building or hospital where people receive medical advice or treatment.
VVAC opened in 2007 to enable people living in the north of India to avail easy access to authentic Ayurvedic treatments without having to travel all the way to Kerala. Today, it claims to be the biggest Ayurvedic establishment of its kind in the region, offering nearly 80 therapeutic programs that are designed to enable self-healing through diet, exercise and treatments.
The 25-acre oasis, which is situated among a larger 500-acre forest in the Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas, has 70 rooms, three Hindu temples that have daily morning and evening aartis, a gaushala (cow shelter), four organic gardens that exemplify the farm-to-table concept, a badminton court, and a kashayapura (a kitchen where Ayurvedic treatments are freshly prepared and made to order for patients).
After sleeping off the weariness of my journey on the first day, followed by a short tour of the grounds, I met with Dr V M Gopal Menon the following morning to begin my Ayurvedic consultation. Its purpose was to craft a rejuvenating treatment program that would be best suited to my physical and mental needs.
Guests also have the option to engage with naturopathy treatments at the VVAC. The difference between the two lies in the fact that while Ayurveda uses herbal medications and oil-based treatments alongside diet and exercise to heal people—particularly if there is a disease or condition that leads to imbalances and inflammation in the body—naturopathy focuses on nutrition and diet, and employs water-based therapies.
After discerning that I suffered from no physical ailments, Menon recommended an abhyanga massage followed by steam therapy. By this time, I was curious about the benefits of Ayurveda, so I eagerly awaited the arrival of my therapists who I was told would collect me from my room.
When they arrived, I was led to the treatment centre less than a minute’s walk from my accommodation. Down a flight of stairs and I was in the women’s wing (the men’s is one floor above), where I was ushered into a room with a wooden table, a small stove (for heating oil, I assumed), a bathroom, and a recess that had some sort of contraption in it.
I was handed a pair of white disposable underwear and told to change. I am a prude by no means, but walking out of the bathroom with only a pair of briefs on was a little disconcerting. I quickly got over it though and sat on a chair where the therapists, Gomti and Kanika, placed their hands on my head and chanted a verse to pray for a successful treatment.
They started a hair massage that was way more vigorous than the gentle and soothing touch of my mum, the only other person who has worked magic with her fingers on my head. I enjoyed the pulls and pinches as Kanika worked away on my hair, despite the surprising number of strands that parted company from my scalp—a sign that perhaps my locks needed to be fortified with strengthening shampoos.
After the head massage was over, I lay down on my back on the wooden table, whereupon I was lathered from head to toe with pinda thailam, a warm herbal oil that has a cooling effect on the body. Gomti and Kanika stood on either of me and worked their way from my arms and chest to my thighs and feet in rhythmic, firm, soothing strokes that almost made me fall asleep! This massage balances the body’s energy—or doshas—to enhance overall health by supporting the circulatory system and nourishing the skin.
The process was repeated after I turned over on my chest. By this time, my whole body was slippery and slick, but as I grounded myself to the present moment, listening to the women working away on my hands and feet, I had a moment of revelation in a private matter that perhaps wouldn’t have occurred to me without the aid of this experience. My heart settled and I whispered words of thanks to my therapists, gratitude seeping outing of me like the oil that covered every pore of my body.
To round off my first-ever massage experience, I was gently led to the contraption in the recess. I discovered that it was just a wooden box with a stool in the centre. As I sat down, the box was closed with only my head left poking out of a circular hole, feeling a little bit like a magician’s assistant. It soon filled with white hot steam, which caused the oil to drip away. I had to stay there for 10 minutes, but I asked Gomti to turn down the temperature towards the end as it was getting nearly unbearable. Feeling light-headed, I gulped down cups of water, after which all the oil, sweat and water were tenderly dabbed away with a cotton towel.
Back in the clothes I had worn to the treatment centre, I went back to my room to rest until dinner.
The food at the Vaidyaratnam Vrindavan Ayurveda Chikitsalayam was a pleasant surprise. All meals at the Tulsi Vanam Aahar cafeteria are prepared according to each guest’s treatment plan as per their doctor's advice. Since I wasn’t suffering from any particular ailment, I was given simple sattvic (pure, nutritious and vegetarian) meals of daal, roti, rice and sabzi, with the occasional salad thrown in. Bottle gourd, radish, cucumber, tomatoes, cauliflower, okra, carrot, peas, beans—all of these seasonal vegetables landed on my plate after being harvested from the on-site organic farm. The portions were just right for a single person, but I could get second and third helpings if I was particularly famished.
The outdoor seating area was a particular highlight of the dining hall. With koi ponds, plants, trees and a fresh breeze for company, eating outdoors in such a tranquil atmosphere was easily the best part of my day. As my eyes adjusted to the blue skies and green landscape over three days, I worried about going back to the aches and pains of city life. While I wasn't entirely convinced of the promises of the wellness industry, I realised that looking after one's spiritual, mental and physical life is essential for showing up as a complete human being.
Arguably, nothing better encapsulated my stay at the VVAC than a conversation I had with Nupur, one of the regulars at the wellness retreat who has been going there for years. Sitting side by side on a swing next to my room, she told me about starting naturopathic treatment during her first time at the VVAC.
“I lost nearly 15 kg on the treatment,” Nupur said. “But internally, I felt a lot lighter, like the kilograms inside had melted away.” Maybe that's what true healing is all about.
Tariff: INR 7,800 per night. Guests are recommended to stay for at least seven days to benefit from the Ayurvedic and naturopathic treatments.
How to Reach: Chandigarh is the closest city to the VVAC, 37 km away. The wellness centre offers a paid taxi service directly from the airport or railway station to their site, which takes around an hour.
Address: Vrindavan, Village Thana, EPIP, 2, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh 173205
