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Ayurveda Calling Ayurveda is the indigenous system of medicine evolved over thousands of years by people endowed with the extraordinay power of observation of nature and its complex processes. For five millennia this comprehensive system tended the healthcare needs of Indian people, rich and poor alike. However, 200 years of British rule has turned it something to be lampooned. Surprisingly, even Indians, mesmerised by the quick-fix ability of allopathy, turned their back on the time-tested efficacy of Ayurveda. Probably it was the novelty and exotic origin of allopathy which flummoxed them. Ayurveda, however, did not suffer from the fate of other ancient Indian arts and craft. It has been re-discovered and revived as an alternative medicine to extend healthcare to a sizeable section of the population. There are several reasons for this revival: First, allopathy, being laboratory-centred and based on patented medical formulations, could not cover the healthcare needs of the entire population, especially the rural inhabitants; Secondly, allopathy was no panacea for all ills. In fact, it had no nostrums for several degenerative diseases like arthritis, spondylitis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and so on. Thirdly, allopathic treatment often threw up side-effects, virtually proving the adage ``remedy worse than the disease'' true. Ayurveda, with its breadth and versatility, had none of these infirmities, and in the Indian context it fitted the rural bill admirably. The revival of Ayurveda is visible all over India. But most practitioners are today concentrating on the business side - cultivation and collection of herbs, large-scale manufacture of medicines, their sale, distribution, export and so on. Some traditional vaidya families in Kerala have chosen to make it lucrative by joining parlour managers. Parlour treatment involves oil bath, whole-body massage, regulated food, yoga etc, taking 10 to 14 days to complete the course and will require the assistance of three to four trained people at a time. But at the end of it all, some people feel the body overhauled and their mind turned serene and effulgent. Traditionally considered inexpensive, especially the physio-therapy type, it has suddenly become very expensive and only the wealthy can afford it. Many well-to-do people past their prime undergo the treatment regularly. It is this rejuvenation treatment in the eco-friendly surroundings of Kovalam that has caught the fancy of foreign tourists. It was the hotel industry which first realised the immense potential of Ayurvedic massage in restoring the spirit of travel-weary tourists. When they provided it under five-star comforts, it became an instant success. But the hotels had their limitations in running open-air programes. The private entrepreneurs who realised the exploding business opportunity lost no time in setting up numerous massage parlours. Kovalam, near Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), is a popular beach resort comparable to any in the world. Because there is practically little variation in day temperatures (around 30 deg C) this tropical beach can be visited any time of the year. It is estimated that of about 1,80,000 tourists visiting the State every year, nearly half undergo the rejuvenation treatment. Most of them are foreigners. The mounting exports of Ayurvedic formulations and herbal cosmetics to the West and the mad scamble by multi-national companies for patenting Indian herbs are just two sure signs of growing recognition of Ayurveda. There has always been a search to find a way to make life smooth and longer. A panacea eludes but a breakthrough is round the corner. Till then, Ayurveda must dispense comfort!
-by VSP Kurup |
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