Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital
Panchakarma and Detox procedure suite at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital.
Department of Panchakarma

Fourteen therapies. One method.

Panchakarma does not mask symptoms. It removes what is causing them — in a defined sequence, under a doctor's supervision, with the body rebuilt afterwards.

See all therapies
  • 14Therapies offered
  • 100Beds, with inpatient Panchakarma
  • 3Stages in every protocol
  • 0Therapies without a doctor's plan
How a course is built

Cleansing is the middle step — never the first

Most people think Panchakarma means the cleanse itself. It doesn't. What comes before and after decides whether the result lasts a week or a year.

  1. Stage 13–7 days

    Purvakarma

    Waste stored deep in the tissues is softened and drawn back into circulation — where it can be reached.

    • Snehapan — internal oleation with medicated ghee
    • Abhyanga — full-body medicated oil massage
    • Swedana — herbal steam fomentation
  2. Stage 21–3 days

    Pradhankarma

    Deep-seated waste, loosened by Purvakarma,removed by the nearest route i.e. mouth, nasal, etc.

    • Vamana & Virechana — emesis and purgation
    • Basti — medicated enema
    • Nasya & Raktamokshana — nasal and blood purification
  3. Stage 37–30 days

    Paschatkarma

    Digestion is rekindled slowly with a graded diet, then tissue is rebuilt.

    • Graded diet — Samsarjan Karma
    • Rasayana — rejuvenative herbs and formulations
The therapies

All fourteen, in the order they are used

Every therapy below is prescribed, not picked. Use the index to jump to any one of them.

Purvakarma

Preparation therapies

The body is oiled and then heated. Waste lodged deep in the tissues is softened and drawn back into circulation, where the main cleansing can actually reach it.

Internal Oleation

Snehana

Medicated ghee, taken by mouth over 3–7 mornings, to loosen waste stored deep in the body.

  • Purvakarma internal oleation and detox preparation.

    Purvakarma internal detox preparation

  • Panchakarma physician reviewing a patient's detox consultation response.

    Personalised Panchakarma detox consultation

  • Patient drinking the measured morning dose of medicated ghee.

    The measured ghee dose, taken on an empty stomach

What happens
  • You drink a measured dose of herbal ghee on an empty stomach, in a slowly rising amount each day.
  • The dose is set for your body — your digestion, weight and condition all change the number.
  • It is the quiet first step. Nothing is removed yet; everything is being made ready.
How it helps the body
  • Fat carries what water cannot. Many waste products in the body are oil-loving, so oil is what reaches them.
  • Ghee softens hardened residue lodged in tissue and joints and floats it back into circulation.
  • Once that waste is loose and mobile, the cleansing steps can actually remove it — instead of only touching the surface.
Duration
20 minutes a session
Course
3–7 mornings
Feel
Heavy, sleepy, warm
After
Light food, rest, warm water
Commonly used for
  • Dryness and cracking joints
  • Long-standing skin disease
  • Chronic constipation
  • Nervous exhaustion
  • Stiffness that returns each morning
  • Detoxification
Full-Body Oil Massage

Abhyanga

Warm medicated oil worked into the whole body by two therapists moving in rhythm.

  • Therapists performing classical Abhyanga with medicated oil at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital.

    Classical Abhyanga session

  • Two therapists performing a synchronised Abhyanga with warm medicated oil along the patient's back.

    Two-therapist synchronised strokes

  • Therapist working warm herbal oil into a patient's back with steady, even pressure.

    Steady pressure, following the muscle

What happens
  • A 45–60 minute massage with warm, herb-infused oil, from scalp to soles.
  • Two trained therapists perform synchronised strokes, following the direction of the muscles.
  • Pressure is steady, calm and gentle.
How it helps the body
  • Steady rhythmic touch signals the nervous system to relax, helping reduce stress hormones and stabilise the heart rate.
  • Warm oil dilates the small blood vessels of the skin, improving blood circulation — tissue gets more oxygen, and the removal of waste from the body is promoted.
  • Massage strokes directed towards the heart support lymphatic drainage, helping the body's natural detoxification process.
  • It relieves muscle tension, reduces stiffness and promotes deep physical and mental relaxation.
Duration
45–60 minutes
Course
7–14 days
Feel
Warm, heavy, deeply relaxed
After
Steam, then a warm bath
Commonly used for
  • Poor sleep
  • Anxiety and burnout
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Dry, dull skin
  • Fatigue
  • Recovery after illness
Whole-Body Herbal Steam

Swedana

Herbal steam in a seated cabinet, with the head kept outside and cool.

  • Classical Swedana steam therapy setup at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital.

    Swedana steam therapy

  • Wooden Swedana steam chamber with the patient's head kept free of the steam.

    Steam chamber with the head kept free

  • Therapist monitoring a patient through a Swedana session.

    Monitored session with a therapist

What happens
  • You sit inside a wooden steam chamber — the whole body remains inside, except the head.
  • The steam is not plain water — it carries a decoction of herbs chosen for your condition.
How it helps the body
  • Heat widens the channels of the body so the loosened waste has somewhere to travel.
  • It thins thick, sticky secretions — the same reason steam helps a blocked chest.
  • Sweating removes salts, urea and other residues through the skin, easing the load on the kidneys.
  • Warm muscle stretches further and hurts less, which is why stiffness eases immediately afterwards.
Duration
10–15 minutes
Course
7–21 days
Feel
Warm, light, loosened
After
Rest 30 min, sip warm water
Commonly used for
  • Joint stiffness
  • Back and neck pain
  • Heaviness in the body
  • Blocked sinuses
  • Water retention
  • Cold hands and feet
Local Heat Therapy

Sthanik Swedana

Heat applied to one painful area only — a knee, a shoulder, the lower back.

  • Warm medicated oil poured into dough rings built over both knees.

    Heat held over the knees alone

  • Warm herbal pack placed over a patient's lower back.

    Warm herbal pack on the lower back

What happens
  • Instead of the whole body, warmth is directed at a local part of the body.
  • Delivered by herbal steam nozzle, hot poultice, warm sand bag or a herbal pack.
How it helps the body
  • Blood flow to a warmed area rises sharply, bringing repair material to the exact place it is needed.
  • Warmth quiets the pain signals travelling from that joint to the brain.
  • Tight tissue around the joint becomes more elastic.
Duration
15–20 minutes
Course
7–14 days
Feel
Focused warmth, quick relief
After
Keep the area covered
Commonly used for
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Knee pain
  • Lower back pain
  • Neck spasm
  • Heel pain
  • Old injuries that ache
Herbal Poultice Massage

Potli · Pinda Sweda

Warm herbal poultices containing medicinal herbs, rice or sand are gently pressed and massaged over the affected area.

  • Therapist applying warm Patra Pinda Sweda poultices at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital.

    Patra Pinda Sweda (Potli Sweda)

  • Therapist pressing two warm herbal poultices along a patient's oiled back.

    Warm poultices pressed along the back

  • Close view of cloth-tied herbal bundles being worked over the shoulders and upper back.

    Cloth-tied bundles worked over the shoulders

What happens
  • The therapist dips the poultices in warm oil and gently applies them over the body and give gentle massage to the poultice
  • The therapist dips the poultices in warm oil, applies them gently and gives a gentle massage with the poultice.
  • This process continues for 25-30 minutes or depend on the area affected.
How it helps the body
  • Heat and pressure relax the muscles and soften the tissues.
  • Herbal actives pass through the warmed, opened skin straight into the tissue below.
  • The tapping action breaks up knots and adhesions that plain massage slides over.
Duration
45 minutes
Course
7–14 days
Feel
Hot, rhythmic, satisfying
After
Rest, avoid cold wind
Commonly used for
  • Arthritis
  • Sciatica
  • Muscle wasting
  • Cervical spondylosis
  • Sports injuries
  • Numbness and tingling
Pradhankarma

The five main cleansings

The five Shodhan Karmas. One or more is selected for your Dosha, your condition and the season — each performed with a physician present and vitals recorded.

Supervised Therapeutic Emesis

Vamana

A controlled, medically supervised clearing of the stomach and chest, done especially in Vasant Ritu.

  • Dedicated procedure room prepared for a supervised Vamana.

    Dedicated procedure room

  • Panchakarma doctor supervising a Vamana session from start to finish.

    Doctor supervising the session

  • Recovery and monitoring bay used after the procedure.

    Recovery and monitoring bay

What happens
  • After days of Snehapan (intake of ghee), massage (Abhyanga) and medicated steam (Swedana), a herbal preparation is given on an empty stomach.
  • It induces therapeutic emesis, which removes toxins from the whole body through the upper digestive tract.
  • The whole procedure is done under the observation of a Panchakarma doctor from start to finish, in a dedicated room.
  • It is a one-day procedure.
How it helps the body
  • Collected toxins in the stomach and airways are removed, not just suppressed.
  • The stomach lining resets — appetite, taste and digestion sharpen within days.
  • Many long-standing skin and allergy problems begin in the gut; clearing it there often shows on the skin.
Duration
One morning
Course
5–7 days of preparation
Feel
Light chest, clear breath
After
3 days of graded diet
Commonly used for
  • Bronchial asthma
  • Repeated colds and sinus trouble
  • Psoriasis and eczema
  • Obesity
  • Chronic allergies
  • Long-standing acidity
Supervised Therapeutic Purgation

Virechana

A measured herbal purge that clears the liver, gallbladder and small intestine — a purgation process that detoxifies the whole body through the lower digestive tract.

  • Ayurvedic Virechana detox therapy session at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital.

    Supervised Virechana detox therapy

  • Consultant and Panchakarma team assessing a patient in the OPD before a Virechana is planned.

    Assessed and planned before the day itself

  • Patient taking the single measured dose of herbal purgative on the morning of the procedure.

    The single morning dose

What happens
  • A single dose of a herbal purgative, given on the morning after the preparation days are complete.
  • The herbal preparation induces motions across the day, counted and recorded.
  • It is a one-day procedure, done under the observation of a consultant.
How it helps the body
  • The liver and gallbladder empty their stored load, so bile flows freely again.
  • Heat and inflammation carried in the blood come down.
  • The gut lining is stripped of old residue, and absorption improves noticeably afterwards.
  • It is the gentlest of the major cleanses and the one used most often.
Duration
One day
Course
5–7 days of preparation
Feel
Empty, clear, calm
After
3–5 days of light diet
Commonly used for
  • Psoriasis, eczema, urticaria
  • Fatty liver
  • Migraine
  • Piles and chronic constipation
  • Gout and high uric acid
  • Diabetes support
Medicated Enema

Basti

Herbal oil or decoction given through the rectum — the single most valued Panchakarma therapy.

  • Basti preparation being warmed before administration.

    Basti preparation being warmed

  • Basti therapy room prepared for a session.

    The dose is set for you at consultation

  • Course chart used to record and monitor a Basti schedule.

    Course chart and monitoring

What happens
  • A warm medicated liquid is introduced into the rectum and retained for a set time.
  • Two kinds are used: an oil-based one that nourishes, and a decoction-based one that cleanses.
  • They are usually alternated across a course of 8, 16 or 30 days.
How it helps the body
  • The colo-rectal region has a very rich blood supply, so medicine given here reaches the whole body quickly.
  • It works directly on the nerve pathways of the lower spine — which is why it helps neurological disorders.
  • It restores the gut wall and its bacterial balance, easing bloating, cramping and irregular bowels.
  • Nothing else in Ayurveda treats stiffness, dryness and nerve pain so completely.
Duration
30–45 minutes
Course
8, 16 or 30 days
Feel
Warm, settled, relieved
After
Rest, warm light meals
Commonly used for
  • Sciatica and slip disc
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Paralysis and nerve weakness
  • IBS and chronic bloating
  • Infertility support
  • Parkinson's support
Nasal Medication

Nasya

Medicated drops through the nostril, after a face and neck massage — treatment aimed at the head, neck, shoulder and face area.

  • Classical Nasya Karma administration at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital.

    Classical Nasya Karma administration

  • Nasya Karma procedure room and oil therapy.

    Nasya Karma oil therapy

  • Pratimarsha Nasya oil instillation for ENT health.

    Pratimarsha Nasya therapy

What happens
  • Your face, forehead and neck are massaged and steamed first.
  • Warm herbal oil or juice is then instilled into each nostril, drop by drop, with the head tilted back.
  • You gargle and spit afterwards to clear what drains down.
How it helps the body
  • The nose opens directly into the sinuses and the base of the skull — it is the shortest route to the head.
  • Medicine crosses the thin nasal lining and works directly on an important point, Shringataka Marma.
  • Trapped sinus secretions drain, and the pressure behind the eyes and cheeks lifts.
  • It works on the nerves of the face and scalp, easing headache, and helps smell and clarity return.
Duration
20–30 minutes
Course
7–14 days
Feel
Sharp, then clear-headed
After
Avoid cold air and dust
Commonly used for
  • Sinusitis
  • Migraine and headache
  • Cervical spondylosis
  • Hair fall and premature greying
  • Loss of smell
  • Frozen shoulder
Leech Therapy

Raktamokshana · Jalauka

Medicinal leeches applied to a diseased area to draw out stagnant blood — sterile, single-use, physician-led.

  • Sterile medicinal leeches prepared for use on a single patient.

    Sterile leeches prepared for use

  • Leech being applied on the affected site during Jalauka Avacharana.

    Application on the affected site

  • Dressing applied to the site after a leech therapy session.

    Dressing after the session

What happens
  • Sterile medicinal leeches are placed on or around the affected site.
  • They attach painlessly and feed for 20–45 minutes, then detach on their own.
  • Each leech is used for one patient only and never reused.
How it helps the body
  • Leech saliva contains over a dozen active compounds — the best known, hirudin, thins blood at the site.
  • It also carries a natural painkiller and an anti-inflammatory, which is why the area stops hurting quickly.
  • Blood flow to a starved or congested area is restored, so oxygen reaches tissue that was not healing.
Duration
30–45 minutes
Course
Weekly, 3–6 sittings
Feel
A mild pinch, then nothing
After
Dressing for 24 hours
Commonly used for
  • Varicose veins
  • Non-healing ulcers
  • Diabetic foot
  • Psoriasis patches
  • Piles
  • Gout and osteoarthritis
Sahayak Karma

Supportive & localised therapies

Targeted therapies used alongside a course, or on their own for a single complaint — each with its own oils, temperature, position and duration.

Continuous Forehead Oil Stream

Shirodhara

A thin, steady stream of warm oil poured across the forehead for 30–45 minutes.

  • Shirodhara room at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital, with the copper vessel suspended over the patient's forehead and the oil already streaming.

    The vessel suspended over the forehead

  • Shirodhara vessel suspended on its stand above the Droni table.

    Shirodhara vessel and stand

  • Quiet, dimly lit therapy room used for Shirodhara.

    Quiet therapy room

What happens
  • You lie back while warm oil flows from a suspended vessel onto the centre of your forehead.
  • The stream swings gently side to side.
  • Oil, buttermilk or medicated milk may be used, depending on what is being treated.
How it helps the body
  • The steady pressure and warmth on the forehead shifts the nervous system out of alert mode.
  • Brain wave activity slows into the pattern seen in deep meditation — measurable on an EEG.
  • Stress hormone levels drop and serotonin rises, which is why mood and sleep both improve.
  • Most people fall asleep during the session. That is the therapy working, not a lapse.
Duration
30–45 minutes
Course
7–14 days
Feel
Floating, deeply calm
After
Rest quietly, no screens
Commonly used for
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Migraine
  • High blood pressure
  • Hair fall
  • Mental exhaustion
Localised Oil Pooling

Kati · Janu · Greeva Basti

A dough ring is placed over the affected area — the lower back, knee or neck — and filled with warm medicated oil, which is retained in that ring for a specific duration.

  • Dough well built over a patient's lower back and topped up with warm medicated oil for Kati Basti.

    Kati Basti — the lower back

  • Warm medicated oil poured into dough rings set over both knees for Janu Basti.

    Janu Basti — the knee joint

  • Therapist at Ishan Ayurvedic Hospital pouring warm oil into a dough ring sealed over a patient's neck.

    Greeva Basti — the neck

What happens
  • A ring of black gram dough is placed over the affected area and sealed to the skin.
  • Warm medicated oil is poured inside and retained for 30–45 minutes.The temperature of the oil is monitored so that it stays properly warm.
  • The therapy is named according to the treatment site — Kati Basti for the lower back, Janu Basti for the knee joint, Greeva Basti for the neck.
How it helps the body
  • Prolonged contact with warm medicated oil enhances absorption through the skin.
  • Sustained warmth reaches the deeper structures — muscles, ligaments and joint capsule.
  • It nourishes and lubricates the joint, which is exactly what a worn or dried joint lacks.
Duration
30–45 minutes
Course
7–14 days
Feel
Deep, held warmth
After
Avoid bending and lifting
Commonly used for
  • Slip disc and sciatica
  • Lumbar spondylosis
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • Cervical pain
  • Stiff, dry joints
  • Post-injury pain
Localised Eye Oil Pooling

Netra Tarpana

The eyes are bathed in warm medicated ghee held in place by a dough ring.

  • Dough rings sealed around both eyes and being filled before Netra Tarpana.

    Dough rings sealed around both eyes

  • Warm medicated ghee poured into the dough well over the eye.

    Warm medicated ghee being poured

  • Eye well filled with warm ghee, the eyelashes immersed while the patient blinks gently.

    The eye bathed for 10–20 minutes

What happens
  • Dough rings are built around both eyes and filled with warm, filtered medicated ghee.
  • You gently open and close your eyes while the eyelashes remain immersed in the medicated ghee, for 10–20 minutes.
  • Temperature is monitored continuously and kept very comfortably warm.
How it helps the body
  • The therapy lubricates and nourishes the surface of the eye, which helps relieve the dryness caused by prolonged screen use, air conditioning and environmental factors, and reduces eye fatigue.
  • Warmth improves circulation to the optic nerve and the muscles, promoting healthy eye function.
  • Tear film quality improves, helping relieve grittiness, burning and excess watering.
Duration
20–30 minutes
Course
5–7 days
Feel
Warm, soothing, blurred briefly
After
No screens or sun for 2 hours
Commonly used for
  • Dry eyes
  • Computer vision strain
  • Early cataract support
  • Glaucoma support
  • Dark circles
  • Chronic eye fatigue
Herbal Powder Massage

Udvartana

Dry or paste-form herbal powders applied with brisk strokes upwards, against the direction of hair growth.

  • Therapist working coarse herbal powder across a patient's torso with firm upward strokes.

    Firm upward strokes across the torso

  • Herbal paste being worked along a patient's arm and hand.

    Worked along the arm, against the hair

  • Herbal powder paste applied down the lower leg and foot.

    Taken down to the foot

What happens
  • Coarse herbal powders are applied over the body using firm, upward strokes.
  • Udvartana is performed by dry herbal powder and use brisk stroke
  • Followed by steam therapy and a warm shower.
How it helps the body
  • Friction and pressure break down fat stored under the skin and push it back into circulation.
  • Dead skin is removed, pores open, and the skin's texture and tone improve visibly.
  • Lymph drainage speeds up, so puffiness and water retention reduce.
  • The upward direction stimulates hair follicles and improves skin firmness.
Duration
45 minutes
Course
14–28 days
Feel
Brisk, tingling, energised
After
Steam, then warm shower
Commonly used for
  • Obesity and stubborn fat
  • Cellulite
  • Sluggish metabolism
  • Dull skin
  • Diabetes support
  • Heaviness and lethargy
Standards

Why this is done in a hospital, not a spa

Panchakarma moves waste through the body and briefly unsettles it. That is exactly why it belongs where a physician, a bed and a pharmacy are all within reach.

  1. A doctor decides

    Every therapy is prescribed after examination and, where needed, blood work. Nothing is sold as a package off a menu.

  2. Watched throughout

    The main cleansings are done with a physician present and vitals recorded. Inpatient beds are available if you need them.

  3. Clean and single-use

    Sterilised equipment, fresh oils per patient, single-use leeches, and NABH infection-control protocol across all therapy rooms.

  4. Trained hands

    Therapists work under BAMS and MD (Panchakarma) supervision, with separate male and female therapy wings.

Medicated oil bottles, herbal boluses, salt and dried herbs arranged on a wooden surface in a Panchakarma therapy room.
Suitability

Who it suits — and who should wait

Panchakarma is powerful, and that cuts both ways. A short screening tells us which therapies fit you and which do not.

Usually a good fit

  • Long-standing pain that keeps returning after medicines stop
  • Arthritis, sciatica, slip disc, frozen shoulder
  • Psoriasis, eczema and other chronic skin conditions
  • Asthma, sinusitis and repeated allergies
  • Poor sleep, anxiety, migraine, burnout
  • Obesity, fatty liver, high uric acid, early diabetes
  • Digestive trouble, IBS, chronic constipation

Tell us first — we may modify or postpone

  • Pregnancy, or currently breastfeeding
  • Any acute fever or infection right now
  • Uncontrolled diabetes or blood pressure
  • Recent surgery or a fresh injury
  • Heart, kidney or liver disease under treatment
  • Blood-thinning medication (affects leech therapy)
  • Children under 12 and adults over 75

Start with an assessment, not a therapy

A 20-minute consultation tells us your constitution, your condition and what your body can take. The protocol is written after that — not before.

Book a consultation8448797705