FACELIFT AHEAD: The Nature Cure and Yoga Research Institute campus on Diamond Harbour Road

Mud pool, tennis court, spa, gymnasium, hydrotherapy unit, yoga centre and other facilities ? it?s good news for the city?s health-seekers, who often travel outside for naturopathy treatment.

With naturopathy fast gaining popularity across the country, especially among those suffering from lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, Calcutta is all set to get its new renovated naturopathy resort, on a par with those in Rajasthan, Bangalore or Haryana.

?Naturopathy institutes are different from health clubs. Accumulation of toxic matters in the body system is the root cause of all diseases. Naturopathy eliminates these toxic elements from the root,? explained Nagendra K. Neeraj, senior consultant of Nature Cure and Yoga Research Institute (NCYRI), a unit of Prakriti Niketan Trust.

The institute, on Diamond Harbour Road, is getting a facelift at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, to be spent in two phases.

Neeraj, who is also vice-president of the International Naturopathy Organisation, said the healing process includes mud therapy, hydrotherapy, sun therapy, ether therapy, aero therapy and diet therapy. ?There is provision for entertainment and games, which bring relief to those suffering from depression and stress,? he said.

There are around 10 major naturopathy centres across the country that have become extremely popular. Kaya Kalp in Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, the Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences in Bangalore, Shankus Natural Health Centre in Ahmedabad and the Naturopathy Hospital in Jaipur are popular centres among Calcuttans.

NCYRI promises to deliver these facilities to the city.

?I visited a reputed naturopathy institute in 2002 and got excellent results. But now, I have the facilities here and there is no need to travel so far,? said K.D. Dhedia, a businessman from Salt Lake who is undergoing naturopathy treatment at NCYRI.

?Earlier, 20 to 40 per cent of the patients to these naturopathy centres were from Calcutta, but now they don?t have to leave the city,? said Neeraj.

Raj Kumar Ladia, another businessman living in Salt Lake, said: ?My wife was ailing, but after getting treatment here, she has stopped taking medicines.?

?There has been a 100 per cent growth in the number of patients we get every month after the renovation work started this year,? said S.V. Khaitan, secretary of the institute.

In the first phase, the institute is spending Rs 75 lakh to set up a state-of-the-art gymnasium, spa, renovating a number of rooms and cottages and male treatment centre.

?The first phase will be completed in another two months? time,? Khaitan said.

A swimming pool and a tennis court will be added in the second phase, along with landscaping. ?Capacity enhancement will also form a major part of our renovation programme,? he informed.

The naturopathic college was formed in 1962. However, NCYRI was remodelled to its present shape in early 1980s and a full-fledged health centre was set up on the 25-bigha plot. The centre has 40,000 sq ft constructed area and three large waterbodies. Mud bath, compress bath and hip bath are some of the treatments that patients undergo.