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AYURVEDA   |   QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Was the revival of ayurveda caused by tourism?

Ayurveda doctors and experts answer your questions.

At the beginning of 80s, ayurveda as a medical system, started to be considered as old fashion science and with the wave of so-called modernity, many Indians started to prefer allopathy medicine. But at the same time there was a demand from abroad for alternative medicine and first ayurveda resorts for foreign tourists were opened. Ayurveda became marketed as a product rather than a medical science and the picture sent out to the world was tailor made for tourism packages. The perception of ayurveda has changed, it's often not considered as a holistic system, but for the average layman, when they think ayurveda, they think only massage.

Another problem is, that the old system of Gurukulas and Vaidiyas was replaced with government certifications. It's become another job for a lot of people and many therapists do not put themselves fully into what is actually a healing process. It's just another job, it's just a stopgap till they get married or till something better comes along. This is sad. We need again that passion to come in, because when you touch someone else body, you enter a very intimate space, where all the healing is happening.  

The only regret is that because the revival of ayurveda was in tourism it's also gone out of reach of a many Indians who could actually need it, though the government ayurveda hospitals are there.

There is nothing wrong about a 'tourist ayurveda' but that's not what ayurveda is about. In SwaSwara, we are very clear, that there is the tourist ayurveda where you can go to and there is the 'classical, traditional, curative ayurveda' which is what we offer and focus on.

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Referring to India’s Tenth five year plan, Former President of India, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam had taken a great effort to include ayurveda in the promotion of tourism and to expand the potentiality of the science in various fields. Indian diplomats took keen initiative to showcase ayurveda as a promising healthcare system in the various tourism fairs held globally. Yoga also played a vital role in intensifying the need for ayurveda in the global market and thus increasing the tourism potential of the country. 

According to the Department of Kerala Tourism, statistics available in 2018 revealed that growth rate of tourists flocking for ayurveda is increasing every year at a rate of around 20-25 percent. It is to be comprehend that both ayurveda and tourism have mutually contributed each other in their revival and propagation. The popularity of ayurveda attracted tourists from all parts of the world and the increased tourism helped in spreading the science of ayurveda around the globe.

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