Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine practiced in India for centuries. It is one of the world's oldest holistic therapies based on the belief that achieving a balance between body, mind and spirit is critical to overall health. Ayurveda maintains this balance through natural remedies, personalized diet, lifestyle adjustments and herbal treatments. Ayurveda also offers one of the most comprehensive 'cleansing' of the protocols available today-- 'Panchakarmas'. (i.e. 5 treatment protocols) that helps eliminate toxins accumulated in the body, thereby curing chronic diseases.
Recognizing the immense advantage of Ayurveda, the Government of India has taken many steps to promote it. The Ministry of AYUSH was established to promote research and development in the field of Ayurveda, including through international inter-institutional collaboration. A National Ayurvedic Mission has been formulated with more than 8000 health and wellness centers. India's state of Gujarat will be home to the first WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, which will work to ensure the quality, safety, efficacy, accessibility and rational use of traditional medicines and optimize the contribution of Ayurveda and other similar systems to overall health. In August 2023, India and WHO held the first Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, with the theme "Towards Health and Well-being for All". The Summit concluded with the adoption of the "Gujarat Declaration", which envisions traditional complementary and integrative evidence-based health interventions to address pressing global health challenges and achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
In another landmark step, starting this year, the Indian government has started issuing a separate category of visas called 'AYUSH Visa' to enable patients visiting India to receive treatment at world-class Ayurvedic institutes across the country such as All India Institute of Ayurveda (New Delhi), National Institute of Ayurveda (Jaipur) and Institute of Ayurveda Education and Research (Jamnagar). I urge our Turkmen friends to take advantage of the new visa services. In addition, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has been offering the AYUSH scholarship program to international students for several years now. Interested candidates can apply for undergraduate, masters and doctoral courses in Ayurveda and related disciplines at various Indian universities/institutes. The scholarship covers all expenses and can be availed by anyone.
To highlight the benefits of Ayurveda and popularize its use worldwide, the Government of India celebrates 'Ayurveda Day' every year. In 2023, the 8th Ayurveda Day will be observed on November 10 and will have the theme of 'Ayurveda for unified health'.. This embodies the concept 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. (i.e. 'the world is one family'), which is also the motto of India's current G20 Presidency. For this year's Ayurveda Day, our government has decided to use Ayurveda for the welfare of not only people but also the environment, plants and animals through agro-Ayurveda, sustainable agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, food safety, etc. A month-long campaign on Ayurveda will be conducted in India, including exhibitions; medical camps; dissemination of research findings; public awareness lectures, etc.
Ayurveda in Turkmenistan:
Turkmenistan is one of the many countries that have recognized Ayurveda as an official system of medicine. I recall that during the visit of the Honourable Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi to Turkmenistan in July 2015, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of yoga and traditional medicine. As part of this cooperation, the first of its kind Yoga and Traditional Medicine Center in Central Asia was opened at the Bagtyýarlyk Sports Complex in Ashgabat. An Indian Ayurveda expert has been appointed to work at the center, who teaches at the State Medical University in Ashgabat and also offers free Ayurveda consultations to the general public at the center. In the future, we hope to expand Ayurveda related activities to all velayats of Turkmenistan through regular counseling camps, lectures, exhibitions, etc.
In conclusion, I would like to invite all citizens of Turkmenistan to join the celebration of Ayurveda Day 2023 and experience the profound healing powers of Ayurveda, thereby setting themselves on the path to a healthier and more balanced life.
Dr. Vidhu Nair,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Republic of India in Turkmenistan.
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