The Chief Minister's Office of Madhya Pradesh announced on Thursday, 28 May 2026 the development of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres at major religious and tourist destinations across the state, signalling a push to integrate traditional medicine with the state's thriving pilgrimage and heritage tourism circuits. The official post, shared by the Chief Minister's Office of Madhya Pradesh and tagging Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and the state's AYUSH department, announced: 'प्रमुख धार्मिक एवं पर्यटन स्थलों पर आयुष हेल्थ एवं वेलनेस सेंटरों का विकास' — translated as 'Development of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres at major religious and tourist sites.'

Context

Madhya Pradesh is home to some of India's most visited religious destinations, including Ujjain, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga sites and host of the Kumbh Mela, as well as Omkareshwar on the Narmada river. The state also draws significant domestic and international footfall to heritage sites such as Khajuraho. Placing AYUSH facilities at these high-traffic locations would allow pilgrims and tourists to access traditional healthcare services during their visits. Dr. Mohan Yadav, who has served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh since December 2023, has positioned health and religious tourism as twin pillars of the state's development agenda. This announcement aligns with that broader direction.

Policy Backdrop

The initiative draws on two central policy frameworks. The National AYUSH Mission, launched in 2014, provides centrally sponsored funding to states for strengthening Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy infrastructure. Subsequently, the Ayushman Bharat programme introduced Health and Wellness Centres in 2018, explicitly incorporating AYUSH services into primary healthcare delivery at the grassroots level. Madhya Pradesh's move follows a pattern seen in other states with strong religious tourism profiles. Uttarakhand and Kerala have previously integrated AYUSH facilities at heritage and pilgrimage sites, positioning traditional medicine as a complement to spiritual tourism and as a driver of wellness-focused travel.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the planned centres would be the millions of pilgrims and tourists who visit Madhya Pradesh's religious and heritage destinations each year. Access to AYUSH services — covering Ayurveda, Yoga, naturopathy, and related disciplines — at these locations could address common travel-related ailments, offer preventive care consultations, and promote wellness experiences that extend the average duration of visits. Local communities near these sites stand to benefit from both the healthcare access and the potential employment generated by operating the centres. For the state government, the initiative also carries economic logic: wellness tourism is a growing segment globally, and anchoring it at established pilgrimage circuits could attract a distinct category of health-conscious traveller.

What's Next

The announcement does not specify the number of centres to be established, their exact locations, construction timelines, or the funding mechanism — whether state-funded, centrally assisted under the National AYUSH Mission, or a public-private model. These details, along with any formal integration with national tourism promotion schemes, will be closely watched by health and tourism sector observers. If implemented at scale, the initiative could set a replicable model for other pilgrimage-heavy states seeking to blend traditional healthcare with religious tourism infrastructure, reinforcing Madhya Pradesh's positioning as a destination that serves both the spiritual and the wellness traveller.