A veteran educationist, Prof. (Dr.) Kalapi Patel, is heading an iconic Ayurveda college. Established in 1938, the college offers UG, PG, and PhD courses in various subjects, following the guidelines of the Central Council for Indian Medicine. Accredited by NAAC and NABH, the institute also runs certificate and fellowship courses.

Prof. (Dr.) Kalapi Patel is the Principal of the J. S. Ayurveda College and the Superintendent of the P. D. Patel Ayurveda Hospital, Nadiad. He is also a Dean-Faculty of Ayurveda at the Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat (MAM) University, Nadiad.

Prof. Patel explains that J. S. Ayurveda College was founded in 1938, making it one of Gujarat's oldest educational institutions. However, when MAM University was founded two years ago, the college became a constituent institution of the university. The college, in accordance with the Central Council for Indian Medicine, provides courses for UG (BMS), PG (MD in Ayurveda), and PhD programmes in a variety of Ayurvedic disciplines, for which the university follows strict guidelines stated by the NCISM (National Commission for Indian System of Medicine). The NAAC and NABH have approved the institute in recognition of its superior clinical and academic programmes.

Prof. Patel elaborates that, in addition to the above, the institution also offers six-month certificate programmes in a variety of areas, as well as fellowship programmes in Ayurveda that provide graduates and postgraduates with in-depth learning in the field. The institution also provides courses to overseas students and collaborates with foreign institutes that are involved in spreading Ayurvedic education abroad, particularly in Germany.

One seat is reserved for international students as per the directive of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, which is overseen by the Ayush Ministry of the Government of India. At the moment, the institute is home to three students from Nepal, two from Brazil, and one from the United States. The university assists students who, after completing their foundational education, are unable to secure post-graduation entrance by offering a range of Ayurvedic courses, which will enable them to find diverse employment opportunities in society.

When asked from where he got inspiration to come into the Ayurveda field, Professor Kalapi states that he happened onto Ayurveda by chance. He had actually dreamed of being admitted to MBBS after clearing his twelfth grade in 1992, but could not qualify. Then he discovered Ayurveda. Prof. SN Gupta, his professor, and the fact that patients come from all over India and other countries to the institute inspired him to pursue a career in Ayurveda. He expresses his gratitude towards God for guiding him to pursue this career path, which allowed him to treat people who were not responding well to current medical treatments. He reveals that even individuals with expertise in Allopathy often come to the institute to study Ayurveda, which has increased his trust in the practice.

Dr. Kalapi attended PG Mehta High School, Malpur, until the tenth grade after being born in a tiny Gujarati hamlet in 1975. Later, he completed his science-focused upper secondary education at Modasa. For his graduation, he enrolled at J. S. Ayurveda College and finished his undergraduate studies from 1992 to 1997. Later, he took the university's postgraduate admission test under the supervision of his professor S. N. Gupta, and came third in the entire state of Gujarat. He pursued a postgraduate degree in ‘Panchakarma’. Following his degree, he spent 1.5 years working at Pt. Shivshaktilal Ayurvedic College in Ratlam.

After some time, he applied for a job at J. S. Ayurveda College and was hired at one-third the salary he was getting. In 2007, the institute became self-financed. According to Dr. Kalapi, the institute ran on grants from 1938 until 2007, when it became self-financed. During the institute's earlier period, when it was being run on grants, there were only 40 seats available for UG students, but after the institute became self-financed, it took fifteen years for the institute to reach its full capacity of 100 UG admissions, 40 PG admissions in seven subjects, and a PhD in eight subjects. Previously, their hospital could admit only 80 people, but now their capacity has increased to 180 patients.

The hospital, fortunately, is still growing, and in six months, it will be able to accommodate 300 patients. He had the good fortune to join the institute in 2003 and has been here ever since. He had other opportunities to work at government ayurvedic institutions, but his goal was to work only at this college. Along with becoming the Dean at MAM University, he attained the top position in the college as a result of his long and devoted effort.

Remembering his mentors, Dr. Kalapi states that he has not encountered anyone on the same level as his professor, Dr. S. N. Gupta, in the field of Ayurveda. Besides, he regards his father, Bhogilal Patel, with admiration and gives him credit for his spiritual development. He says that his father taught him to meditate every day, which improved his spiritual awareness and gave him the opportunity to study the Dharmasastras, which include the Vedas and the Upanishads. His father is still writing, having completed a commentary on 35 Upanishads with success.

Prof. Kalapi finds motivation in the Bhagavad Gita shloka, "कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन." Having worked in the institute since 2003, he has witnessed the shloka in the form of a student, junior teacher, senior teacher, head of department, and head of the institute. Over time, he has realised that no matter what one does, they always end up with the same outcome. He thinks—and has seen firsthand—that if you work honestly, you will always achieve the outcomes you seek.

Speaking about his struggles, Prof. Kalapi states that hardship began in 2007 when he started working at the institute on a much lower wage than he had at his previous job. He didn't understand it at the time, but he and his family were living in extremely tight financial circumstances. However, he never saw it as a hardship as, since 1992, he had had one life goal—to work at this institute with Prof. (Dr.) S. N. Gupta.

Speaking about his accomplishments, Dr. Kalapi states that he gained a great deal of knowledge from working for a considerable amount of time with Dr. SN Gupta, the world-renowned expert in Ayurveda. His greatest accomplishment, he claims, is that he is working at that same level of performance, as the patients are being treated just as well when Dr. Gupta is not around. One of his accomplishments is also to provide his pupils with an accurate and rational interpretation of Ayurveda. Additionally, he was given the chance to deliver  a lecture at an international conference held in Germany. A further accomplishment for him is holding the positions of Principal, Superintendent, and Dean of the institute, which is ranked among the top five Ayurvedic Institutes in the country.

Advising Ayurveda students, Prof. Kalapi states that you cannot embrace Ayurveda if you do not have trust in it, and you cannot adequately apply it if you do not follow it yourself. He asserts that in order to properly practise ayurveda and cure patients, one must adhere to its principles and have trust in it. He also advises everyone to demonstrate their loyalty to the country by doing their own task with honesty.

Further, he recalls how earlier, he regularly became aggressive and reprimanded his paramedical staff and subordinates in front of everyone. However, he had a serious accident in 2016, and his fellow employees and subordinates prayed for his recovery at that time. This led to a significant shift in his conduct, as he no longer chastises individuals in front of other people since he doesn't want to hurt them.

On a concluding note, Dr. Patel shares that he has always worked to keep the benefit of the nation as the top priority. He feels that love for the nation can be depicted by our work with dedication and honesty. Further emphasising his love for the nation, Dr. Kalapi says that his respect for our nation was the reason that prompted him to name his son ‘Bharat’.