Ishwardas Chunilal Yogic Health Centre

When the work of Swami Kuvalayanandaji to investigate the effects of Yoga in a scientific way became well known, more and more number of people started coming to the institute at Lonavla with a desire to learn Yoga for the purpose of health and healing. Many amongst them were from Mumbai. As their number grew, they requested Swamiji to open the branch of the institute in Mumbai itself.
In response to these requests the Mumbai branch of the Kaivalyadhama was started on the 6th January, 1932. In the initial period the work was carried out at two centres in the suburbs of Mumbai. The Health aspect was handled by the centre at Santacruz and this Health Centre was known as Arogya Sharanam. The other centre at Borivali functioned as the spiritual centre and was known as Adhyatma Kendra.
Later on, for a greater convenience of the people, the Health Centre was shifted from the suburb to its present site on Marine Drive. The munificent donation received from Sir Chunilal Mehta, made it possible for the Health Centre to have its own building. In the memory of Sir Mehta’s son, it was renamed as Ishwardas Chunilal Yogic Health Centre, Kaivalyadhama was inaugurated as a full-fledge centre on 30th April, 1932.
Swami Kuvalayananda had a clear vision about how Yoga can play a great role in health and healing. In an information booklet brought out at the beginning of the Bombay branch, he had mentioned that “he is far more anxious to prevent diseases than to cure them. He is convinced on ground thoroughly scientific, that Yogic physical culture is capable of building such vitality in every individual that seriously takes to it, as would expose him to ailments rarely, if at all. To practice Yoga daily and systematically is to develop immunity against all diseases”. All along the last 70 years, this has remained the main thrust of the activity of Kaivalyadhama, Mumbai.