Across the mountains, plains and farmlands of Northern India, wellness has long been shaped by a blend of traditional medicine, spirituality and local ecological knowledge. Unlike structured spa therapies or modern wellness programmes, many of these practices remain deeply woven into everyday life, drawing upon centuries-old healing systems that continue to be passed down through generations.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Across the rural heartlands of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, traditional healing often occupies the space between medicine and faith. Jhad-Phook remains a widely recognised practice used to address sudden illnesses, mild fevers, anxiety and conditions believed to arise from negative influences. During the ritual, a healer gently brushes the patient with peacock feathers or neem twigs while reciting protective prayers. The act symbolically removes harmful energies and restores balance to the individual.
Uttarakhand
In the hills of Kumaon and Garhwal, wellness often extends beyond the physical realm and simply forest bathing. The traditional practice of Jagar is rooted in the belief that chronic fatigue, mental distress and certain unexplained ailments may stem from dissatisfied ancestral spirits or local deities. The ritual typically unfolds over an entire night. A singer known as the Jagariya plays traditional instruments such as the daunr and thali while reciting sacred narratives and epics. Through rhythmic music and chanting, a medium known as the Pashuwa enters a trance-like state. Once possessed by the invoked spirit, the medium is believed to reveal the emotional, spiritual or lifestyle imbalances that need to be addressed for healing to occur.
Haryana
In rural Haryana, traditional healers have long practised a robust form of Snehana and Svedana — oil massage and induced sweating. The treatment begins with the patient reclining on a woven jute charpai or cot, while the healer massages the body using cold-pressed mustard or sesame oil infused with locally sourced herbs and weeds. The process is followed by a sweating ritual in which the patient sits over a steaming vessel filled with boiled neem and eucalyptus leaves. Wrapped in a heavy cotton quilt known as a khes, the individual undergoes a deep warming treatment intended to encourage perspiration and remove accumulated toxins.
Punjab
The state’s wellness traditions are deeply influenced by its agricultural heritage. One long-standing practice is Mitti Chikitsa or mud therapy, used particularly for skin ailments and excessive internal body heat during the region’s intense summers. Soil is collected from deep underground, dried in the sun, mixed with neem-infused water and then applied to the body in the form of therapeutic wraps.
The state’s wrestling culture has also given rise to a respected tradition of Haddi-Vaidya or bone-setting. Experienced bone-setters and pehalwans are known for treating severe sprains and joint dislocations through rhythmic manual manipulation. Treatments are typically followed by the application of a binding mixture made from turmeric, flour and mustard oil.
Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh
In the Trans-Himalayan regions of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district, wellness is closely linked to Sowa-Rigpa, an ancient Tibetan-influenced medical system. One of the most distinctive therapies within this system is moxibustion, in which cone-shaped tufts of dried mugwort, known as moxa, are burned on specific meridian points of the body. The practice is believed to stimulate circulation and address ailments associated with cold climatic conditions. Thermal spring bathing also forms an important part of the region’s healing traditions. Natural sulphur springs such as those at Vashisht near Manali and Chumathang in Ladakh are visited for ritual baths, often accompanied by prayers intended to ease joint pain and restore physical balance.