The most fascinating aspect of ayurveda is, it was using almost all methods of healing like lifestyle regimen, yoga, aroma, meditation, gems, amulets, herbs, diet, jyotishi (astrology), color and surgery etc. in treating patients. Though ayurveda came into being as an independent upaveda of Atharva Veda, it has close links with other Vedas also. The Yajur Veda, which recommends rituals to pacify the panchamahabhuts in a view to heal both the Cosmic Being and the individual soul, is related to ayurveda in its principles and regulations of lifestyle. The upaveda called Dhanur Veda or the martial arts and ayurveda both refer to each other in the treatment of marmas or sensitive points in the body. Ayurveda recommends specific ayurvedic massages, exercises and bodywork for this purpose.

Around 15,00 BC ayurveda was delineated into to two distinct schools: Atreya—The School of Physicians, and Dhanvantari—The School of Surgeons. This made ayurveda a more systematically classified medical science, hereafter. Dhanvantari, who is considered to be a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, was the guiding sage of ayurveda. He made this science of health and longevity popular and widely acceptable. In fact, these two schools of thought led to the writing of two major books on ayurveda—Charaka Samhita and Susruta Samhita.

These two Samhitas were written in the early part of 1000 BC. The great sage- physician Charaka authored Charaka Samhita revising and supplementing the text written by Atreya, which has remained the most referred ayurvedic text on internal medicine till date. Susruta, following the Dhanvantari School of Thought, wrote Susruta Samhita, comprising the knowledge about prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgery, caesarian operations and even brain surgery. He is famed for his innovation of cosmetic surgery on nose or rhinoplasty. Around 500 AD, Vagbhatt compiled the third major treatise on ayurveda, Astanga Hridaya. It contained knowledge comprising the two schools of ayurveda.

From 500 AD to 1900 AD, sixteen major Nighantus or supplementary texts on ayurveda like Dhanvantari Bhavaprakasha, Raja and Shaligram among others were written incorporating new drugs, expansion in applications, discarding of old drugs and identification of substitutes. These texts mention about 1814 varieties of plants in vogue.

Evidences show that ayurveda had nurtured almost all the medical systems of the world. The Egyptians learnt about ayurveda long before the invasion of Alexander in the 4th century BC through their sea-trade with India. Greeks and Romans come to know about it after the famous invasion. The Unani form of medical tradition came out of this interaction. In the early part of the first millennium ayurveda spread to the East through Buddhism and greatly influenced the Tibetan and Chinese system of medicine and herbology. Around 323 BC, Nagarjuna, the great monastic of Mahayana Buddhism and an authority on ayurveda had written a review on Susruta Samhita. In 800 AD ayurveda was translated into Arabic. The two Islamic physicians Avicenna and Razi Serapion, who helped form the European tradition of medicine, strictly followed ayurveda. Even, Paracelsus, considered to be the father of the modern western medicine toed the line of ayurveda, as well.
In the postmodern age, the popularity of this vibrant tradition of ayurveda lies in its, subtle yet scientific, approach to heal a person in its totality. It aims, not only at healing the body, but also the mind and spirit, at one go. Its unique understanding of the similarities of natural law and the working of human body, as well as its holistic treatment methods, help it to strike a balance between the two. This gives ayurveda an edge over other healing systems. Perhaps that's the reason behind ayurveda being the longest unbroken medical tradition in the world, today.

Kottakal

Kottakal is well known for the kottakal Ayurveda sala. It can be said almost without doubt that Ayurveda owes its present status to Vaidya Ratnam PS Varrier of Kottakkal, in Malappuram district of northern Kerala. In 1902 it took him much intensive study - of both Ayurveda and Allopathy, a lot of courage and persistence and a great deal of faith, to take the first step to revive a science that was jostled almost into non existence. Allopathic medicines had been brought in by the Europeans to India. Ayurveda practitioners were few and Ayurvedic medicines difficult to prepare. The situation was grim for the common man.

An experiment that proved to be a boon

P.S. Varrier made arrangements, to organise treatment under the Ayurvedic system and prepare and supply medicines on modern times by strictly following the ancient Ayurveda texts. The Ayurveda Pata Sala (School for Ayurveda) was set up in 1917 and the Ayurveda chikitsasala (Hospital) in 1924.

More branches were to be opened across Kerala. And P.S. Varrier was honoured with the Vaidya Ratnam (gem among physicians) in 1933. Thanks to his efforts, Kerala has become the home of the ancient science of health and longevity.

Kottakkal Pooram is the annual festival at the Sree Vishwambara Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Dhanvanthiri. Dhanvanthiri, in Indian mythology, is the patron god of medicine and health. During the festival, masters of music, art, culture and literature from all over the country participate in the cultural mela organised by the P.S.Warrier Trust. The Trust is run by the renowned Ayurvedic reasearch, treatment and study centre Kottakkal Arya Vaidyasala .

How to reach

Air : Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode, about 36 km from Malappuram town..
Rail : Tirur, about 16 km from Kottakkal.
RoadThere are frequent bus services from nearby towns like Kozhikode, Malappuram (about 11 km), Tirur etc., to Kottakkal.