Seminar explores Ayurveda’s role in digestive health

Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala Managing Trustee and Chief Physician P.M. Varier lighting the lamp at an Ayurveda seminar organised by Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala at Coimbatore on Sunday.

The role of Ayurveda in maintaining digestive health and its relevance to modern medical practice came up for discussion at a national seminar organised by Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala at Coimbatore on Sunday.

The 63rd edition of the seminar, held in memory of renowned Ayurveda practitioner P.K. Warrier, coinciding with the golden jubilee celebrations of the institution’s Coimbatore branch, focussed on the clinical importance of digestive health from Ayurvedic and modern medical perspectives.

Ranjit Anand Puranik, managing director of Dhootapapeshwar Pvt. Ltd., inaugurated the seminar. Arya Vaidya Sala Managing Trustee and Chief Physician P.M. Varier led the session.

K. Balasubramanyam, director of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, Tamil Nadu; K. Chandramouleeswaran, principal of RVS Ayurveda College, Sulur; K. Vamsi Murthy, medical gastroenterologist and director of endoscopy at VGM Hospital, Coimbatore; Ramesh R. Warrier, managing director of Madurai-based AVN Arogya Healthcare Ltd; and Jayadevan P. Varier, senior medical officer at Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala’s Thiruvananathapuram branch, presented their views. A.K. Manoj Kumar, professor in the Department of Panchakarma at VPSV Ayurveda College, Kottakkal, moderated the session.

Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Welfare Minister V. Sampath Kumar inaugurated the golden jubilee celebrations. He said Ayurveda had gained global recognition, with people from several countries coming to India for treatment.

Promoting traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, was part of the Tamil Nadu government’s policy, he said. He also praised Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala for its contributions to Ayurvedic treatment and research over more than a century.

Dr. Varier, who presided over the function, said the institution organised national-level seminars every year to discuss new developments and technologies in Ayurvedic treatment.

Former branch managers T.V. Ramankutty Varier, G.P. Mukundan and T. Valsala were felicitated.

Awards and endowments for Ayurveda students were distributed, along with prizes for quiz competition winners. Four books were also released.

C. Devadas Varier, managing director, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore; V. Rajamani, rheumatologist at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital, Coimbatore; K.K. Ramachandran, president of Coimbatore Malayalee Samajam; K. Harikumar, chief executive officer of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala; and M.K. Jithesh, senior medical officer in quality assurance at Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, spoke.