Ayurveda South IndiaAyurveda in South India is very popular among the Indians as well as the tourists from abroad. What is Ayurveda? "Ayurveda is a science, which describes the beneficial (hita) and the non-beneficial (ahita) aspects of life, the happiness and pain in life, their quality and quantity," says Charaka. It is the oldest and a complete system of health-care,and integrates the mind, body and spirit, which traces its roots to the Vedas. It has been practised for more than 5000 years. It was discovered by the sagesof Ancient India and first recorded in the Vedas,the world's oldest surviving literature.
According to Ayurveda, all objects in the universe including human body are made up of five elements namely Earth,Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. They are together referred as Panchabuthas. When any one of these elements go outof balance due to improper diet and life style, various diseases and mental disturbances can manifest the human body. Hence, it is very essential to maintain harmonic balance of these five elements to keep up good physical,mental andintellectual health. Ayurveda consists of eight sections, called "Astanga Ayurveda". They are –
History of Ayurveda The history of Ayurveda dates back to five thousand years ago, when one of the greatest sages of India, Srila Vyasadeva wrote down the Vedas for the first time in Sanskrit. The Vedas cover a vast number of subjects from grammar to health care which eventually included a branch of medicine called Ayurveda. The knowledge about this ancient system of medicine was passed down orally through the generations. The other great sages who contributed towards Ayurveda are Sushruta, Charaka, and Vaghbata. The two schools of thought came into existence, namely - 1) Atreya, the school of Physicians 2) Dhanvatri, the school of surgeons. Charaka Samhita represented the Atreya School of physicians. Charaka was the first man who based his Samhita on Agnivesha Samhita and enlarged it with his interpretations and annotations. Sushruta based his Samhita on the Dhanwantri school of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic medicine has continued to evolve its holistic approach to health in order to cope with modern needs and scientific approaches of the day. Basic Concepts of Ayurveda The basic concepts of Ayurveda are Tridoshas, (Vata, Pitta and Kapha). They are derived from Panchabuthas.These doshas are the three energetic forces that control the activities and govern the physical, mental and intellectual structure and functions of an individual. In Ayuveda, diagnosis is always done of the patient as a whole. Treatments This holistic system comprising diet, yoga, massage, detoxification, herbal remedies, meditation and daily life style, governs the well being of individuals. This system of medicine aims at preventing diseases, and also treats the root cause of diseases rather than just the symptoms. Kerala, one of the southern states of India, has developed its own Ayurvedic treatment modalities like Dhara, pizhichil, Navarakizhi, Elakizhi, Sirovasthi, Thalapothichil etc. These treatments are effectively used in a number of diseases including motor neuron diseases, arthritis of various kinds, skin diseases, heart diseases, peptic ulcer, asthama, Peripheral vascular diseases and gynecological disorders. Ayurveda treatments are available in other states also. Watch the Videos of Ayurveda to know more. Ayurvedha spread the most in South India in the 20th century after Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala was founded by Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier. He was the first man in South India to organise the treatment of patients under the Ayurvedic system. He pioneered the production of Ayurvedic medicines on modern lines, and ensured that Ayurveda occupied its rightful place among the country's major medical systems. He came to be rightfully known as the 'Saviour of Ayurveda in the South'. South India is blessed with some of the fantastic resorts located at Cochin, Calicut, Kovalam, Kumarakom, Alleppey, Trivandrum and Bangalore. Kerala, popularly known as God’s Own Country, houses some of the best Spas and Ayurvedic Resorts. Some Herbal Medicines
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