OVERVIEW OF INDIAN HEALING TRADITIONS

Origin of Medicines in India

Medicine is considered by the people as the science as well as a healing mechanism. Susruta is
believed to be the founding father of Indian medicine. He established the values of medicine
and noted various diseases which afflicted the people in his famous book named the
Susrutasamhita. He identified around 1120 diseases, penned down 760 medicinal drugs, and
opined that the medical doctor's apparatus included upto 20 sharp instruments (including
knives, scissors, saws and needles) and 101 blunt ones (such as forceps, tubes, levers, hooks
and probes). 1 It was pointed by him that the human body is the combination of three
substances spirit, phlegm and bile. He, thus, noted that health of an individual can be
maintained by having a balance between these above mentioned substances.

The Atharvaveda is believed to be the first text to deal with medicines in India. It was prevalent
mostly during the Early Iron Age in India. The Atharvaveda contains the recommendations of
herbs required for the recuperation of various ailments. This concept was later enshrined in the
field of Ayurveda. The Unani system of medicine developed as an alternate form of medicine
during the Mughal rule in India. Hospitals were constructed in 1595 in Hyderabad and 1719 in
Delhi which gradually led to the strong establishment of medicine in India. 2

Conceptual Understanding of Healing

Healing of an individual deals with the wholeness, narrative, and spirituality (Egnew, 2005).
Healing can be understood or experienced by individuals in two ways —firstly, the subjective
experience of mankind by following any rituals or practices and secondly, a physician’s
analyzing the cause of ailment and then treating it with proper medication using scientific
processes. Practice of healing among individuals has been in practice since time unknown. In
the primitive era, people lacked the understanding as well as knowledge of the causes of certain
diseases following the death of individuals. This made them to come under the shelter of
religion, practice various religious practices and perform religious rituals for the healing of the
individuals from their current ailment. It is by this way, that healing as a specific concept
emerged in the human society.

Diversity of Healing Practices

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity”

---Hippocrates3

Healing practices vary from one religion to another. In an account given by Jerome Frank,
different systems of healing allocates some theory of suffering, definite roles for the healed and

1
Source: -- http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=aa52#473
2
Source: -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_medicine#India
3
Source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/hippocrate133222.html
the healer, a restricted place for healing and time for practicing healing rituals. There are
numerous actions which are executed to bring about healing in an individual. Lastly, all these
practices are very much related with the high expectations of the people to be healed and get
back to the normal course of life. Different religions of the world perform diverse spiritual
practices which are associated with the concepts of healing of an individual. Healing involves
the belief of the people to transform from their pathological state of being to their normal state of
wellbeing.

Common healing practices include: the use of such drugs that are drunk, smoked, injected or
otherwise taken into the body; methods of getting things out of the body by emetics, cathartics,
purgatives, bloodletting or surgery; manipulations of the body through touch and gestures or
with specific materials; diagnostic or divinatory practices that establish the nature of the affliction
in terms of its causes, consequences or some other classificatory scheme; and the use of rituals
and ceremonies incorporating words, music, costumes and other theatrical devices that may
involve the afflicted individual or the healer alone, interaction between patient and healer, or the
participation of a whole group or community. (Cited, Kirmayer, 2004)

Therefore, a few common healing practices which are recognized around the world are—
Ayurveda, Chiropractic, Christian Healing, Divination, Homeopathy, Islamic Medicine,
Naturopathy, Aromapathy, Crystal Healing, Light Therapy, Reiki, Psychotherapies, Shamanism,
Traditional Chinese Medicines And Unani Medicines.

Local Healing Traditions

Local health traditions are observances, convictions and norms related to the health of an
individual. Traditional healers perform various rituals and practices with the sole objective of
providing healing to the individuals. there are over a million community- based traditional health
workers, including 60,000 village bone setters, 60,000 herbal medicine practitioners (excluding
spiritual healers) specializing in jaundice, paralytic conditions, children’s diseases, eye
diseases, poison healing, dentistry etc., and around 700,000 midwives in India [Shankar,
1992 4]. Traditional barefoot doctors or Nattu Vaidyas are also a part of traditional healers.
Healers associated in providing local healing strategies to the people are not professionals in
nature. The healers may be in the form of a farmer, a sorcerer, a magician, a barber, a
soothsayer, or even a nomadic monk. The healers are believed to possess the power of healing
because it is society which gives them the ultimate power by recognizing them to possess
charismatic powers of healing within themselves.

Healing Traditions across different time periods in India

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Traditions associated with healing can be traced through different time periods in India. The
timeline can be divided into three zones—the pre-colonial period, the colonial period and after
the independence of India.

Healing Traditions in Pre-Colonial India

The Portuguese and Dutch settlers could be traced to the pre-colonial India. They discovered
numerous medical systems in India for their healthcare needs. The Europeans who came to
settle in India had a very few physicians along with them. They were devoid of the medical
knowledge which was possessed by the Indian physicians. It was during this period when it was
the authorized policy of the Portuguese and Dutch governments in India to vigorously look out
for Indian traditional medical knowledge and have a note of them. Quite a number of books
were written during this period on Indian medicine. This led to the introduction of Indian medical
knowledge to European medical schools. Indian herbal knowledge became widespread
internationally. Noted works on Indian botanical medical knowledge i.e. herbology was done by
by Garcia da Orta (1568), Christoval Acosta (1578) and the 12 volume Hortus Malabarius
(1678-1693) compiled by Aadrian Van Rheede, became reference books for tropical botany and
medicine for a hundred years or more.5

Healing Traditions in Colonial India

During the colonial period of India, the people of the British East India Company established
themselves in India and delved with the Indian medical writings. The dexterity of Indian
physicians to take care of and treat regional diseases which afflicted the people and the rich
materia medica of the traditional Indian medicine made them to have an advantageous position
against the British physicians who arrived from Europe as they struggled to combat with
diseases which were unusual to them. Many British physicians assumed broader scholarly roles
and by this way European medicine came to be looked upon as the dominant medical
knowledge system. Later on, the scientific medical practices got established in India with the
help of the British colonials and following this process the Indians from different religious
background came forward to enroll themselves in these scientific medical institutes.

Healing Traditions after India’s Independence

India’s independence led the government to make attempts to distinguish Ayurveda, Siddha and
Unani and other traditional healing patterns as being on par with the scientific allopathic
biomedicine. In 1964 a government body for setting norms, rules and regulations for the
production and the organization of the eminence of traditional medicinal preparations was
formed in India. In 1970 the government of India passed the Indian Medical Central Council Act
to impart Ayurvedic teachings and its related diplomas to the people in various institutions. Of
late the Indian government created the Department of AYUSH (Department of Ayurveda, Yoga
& Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) to sustain research activities and progress as
well as advancement of traditional medicine, and to situate standards and control the activities

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Source-- https://www.ncbs.res.in/HistoryScienceSociety/content/overview -indian-healing-traditions
 related to the traditional healing practice. In this modern 21st century, India is thriving in the field
of economy by instituting places which are specialized to provide traditional spas to the people.
Hotels are offering different kinds of simplified traditional healing treatments, thereby
commercializing the healing traditions prevalent in India.

The role of Ashta Vaidyas of Kerala

Ayurveda is believed to be the 5000 year old complete and a compiled system of healing. It has
eight specific branches that correspond approximately to eight branches of western medicine.
Ayurvedic physicians or ‘vaidyas’ who are equally skillful in all the eight branches are known as
‘ashtavaidyas 6’. The word ‘ashta’ stands for ‘eight’. Between the period of 6th and 7th century,
people opine that Vagbata (an Ayurvedic physician) came from Sind to Kerala in search of rare
and precious medicinal plants. His arrival in Kerala took a completely new turn and the
traditional healers of Kerala adopted his work ‘Ashtangahrdayam as the establishment of their
system of medicine. The rich flora and fauna in Kerala makes it as one of the central places in
India which has the hub of medicinal plants and herbs. Kerala also embraces within its
geography many temples, according to which the people are of the belief that Gods are the
healers. The Ashtavaidyas are thus regarded as the complete physicians by the people in
Kerala as they were known to possess divine power of healing individuals. People belonging in
the field of Ayurveda in the present century; regard the knowledge of the traditional
Asthavaidyas to be the best of all kinds. 7

Healing Traditions across India

India is a land of diverse cultural practices. People belonging to different religious background
perform various religious practices to bring about welfare of the people. When people find no
other way in the sphere of bio-medicine for the healing of themselves, it is to religion that they
turn into. India thus has different healing traditions. A few are noted below—

Healing traditions in Southern India

Kerala is a land of traditions, herbs,

medicinal plants and much more. The
geography of Kerala has kept its traditions
alive. In the south of India, the two main
traditional healing systems which are
practiced today are—

 Ayurveda
 Siddha.

Fig: 1 Kerala

6
The Ashtavaidya culture flourished between the 13th and 17th Centuries with generous royal patronage that
nurtured scholarship and scientific research in medicine as well as in other fields.
7
Source:-- http://homeofayurveda.org/category/history/
Siddha system of healing individuals still pervades in the southern Western Ghats of India
(Pesek et al. 2007c). Tribals living along the Western Ghats also nurtures different traditional
healing practices till today. Spiritual practices are mostly considered to be sacred in nature as it
is imbibed with spirituality. Cosmologies of olden customs and healers of past and pres ent
showers respect for their environment, nature as a path to healthful living.

Healing Traditions in the Himalayan Region

The entire range of Himalayan Region consists of folk healers who possess notable facts of
herbs. This wisdom on the medicinal herbs was passed on by the folk healers from one
generation to another. It is they who developed the health care practices through rigorous tests.
Their expertise on the field was calculated by the number of years they have spent dealing with
this. The knowledge of the folk healers were not only religious in nature but had a deep rooted
rationality. People belonging to the Himalayan community received this knowledge by the
taking note of the proverbs, folklores, legends, customs and myths (Gupta, 2014). Native Health
Care Traditions in the Himalayan region involves two treatment methods which are natural and
supernatural. One can find in the Central Himalayan region that there exists the concept of a
magical therapy, called jagar 8. It is practiced against the spread of diseases. Himalayan people
deem that diseases are caused by annoyance of local deities and therefore treat them
accordingly. In order to treat these diseases, priests or mystic-healers plays a noteworthy role.
The mystic-healers enlighten people on the causes of disease and endow them with remedial
recommendations. The healer treats the patient with the assistance of religious chants which
are believed to cast out the evil spirit from the human body. Thau-dam, a traditional Himalayan
therapy, is practiced in the pastoral Himalayan region for problems related to one’s liver,
stomach, backache and so on. (Gupta, 2014)

East Indian Healing Herbalism

The herbal tradition of India dates back to time unknown. India developed the “science of life”
that is Ayurveda from its most ancient books named as the Vedas. Rig Veda (2500 BC)
contains a detailed elaboration of amputations and eye surgery. Different he aling herbs are
considered to be senna, ginger and cinnamon. Rig Veda prescribes about a herb named
snakeroot (Rauwolfia serpentina), which contains an active ingredient, reserpine. This is still
used in modern bio-medicine to control high blood pressure among human beings. It is only in
East India that Ayurvedic medicine has emphasized for the healing of the body, mind and spirit.
They seek to offer healing by maintaining a proper diet, herbs, light, fresh air, physical
exercises, sensual pleasures and meditation. A good diet should contain a mixture of all six
tastes, as tastes are considered to be some of the most important part in the human body

8
Jagar is generally organized at night and takes one night or twenty-two nights depending upon the severity of the
wrath of the local God.
system. Balance in the diet and the tastes of the individuals makes a man to live a proper and a
healthy life. 9

Traditional Healing Systems

There are different traditional healing systems. Each of the systems has their main motive to
provide welfare to the people at large and make them alleviate to a better state of wellbeing.
The strikingly noted traditional healing systems are as follows—

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a conventional system of healthcare having its origin from the Vedas which was
documented approximately 5000 years ago. According to Ayurveda, health is considered as a
basic precondition for achieving the objectives of life – i.e. Dharma (duties), Arth (finance),
Kama (action) and Moksha (salvation). Ayurveda strives to maintain structural and functional
entities in a state of balance, which connotes good physical well being (Swasthya). Ayurveda
holds the potency to take care of diseases from holistic point of view by maintaining a nexus
between the body-mind. It heals the people from chronic, metabolic and life style diseases.
Thus, ayurveda acts as a typical conventional medicine. 10

Yoga

The word "Yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit word "yuj" which means "to unite or integrate."
Yoga is a primitive, precautionary rehabilitative and restorative involvement for the whole
enhancement of a human being’s health status. A number of postures are illustrated in Yoga
writings to improve the condition of health, to prevent the occurrences of diseases and to
restore back to health from illness. Meditation is believed to provide stability to emotional
altercations and avert pathological functions of the fundamental organs of the body. In this 21st
century, the people in this world have deeply felt the need to be associated with the domain of
yoga due to its health benefits. Yoga, as one of the traditional healing technique will probably
have its growth in the near future.

Unani

The Unani System of Medicine developed in Greece and laid its foundation in India during the
medieval period. The Humoral theory acts as the base of Unani system of medicine. The
personality of a person may vary in accordance with being sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and
melancholic. This depends on the presence and amalgamation of humors. Therefore, any
changes in the humors lead to the change in the human body causing its ailments.

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Source:-- http://www.alive.com/articles/view/18921/history_and_traditions_in_herbal_healing
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Source:-- indianmedicine.nic.in/writ ereaddata/.../3838812338-Introduction.pdf
Siddha11

The Siddha system of medicine belongs to the Dravidian culture. It highlights on the social and
psychological aspect of the patient and thereby tries to link the physiological constitution of the
diseases in the body of the patient. The strength of the Siddha system lies in providing very
effective therapy in the case of Psoriasis, Rheumatic disorders, Chronic liver disorders, Benign
prostate hypertrophy, bleeding piles, peptic ulcer including various kinds of Dermatological
disorders of non psoriatic nature.

Naturopathy 12
Naturopathy is a natural healing method or procedure of using the healing powers of nature.
The belief of Naturopathy is that the accrual of toxins is the pivotal cause of all diseases in the
human body. Prevention and elimination of toxins is the route to health. Treatments are based
on the 5 major components of nature that have enormous healing properties. There is no role of
interior medications in the nature cure system.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a 200-year-old system of medicine that is secured, tender and effectual in re-
establishes a person’s health naturally. It is a western system imported to India. Homeopathy
works to rouse one’s body’s natural capacity to heal itself. It is used to treat an extensive variety
of physical, mental and emotional symptoms to give swift, influential and long lasting benefits. It
offers a secured and long-term holistic solution to upholding and improving one’s health. It
helps to eliminate wearisome symptoms, but it can also help enhance their immune
system, increase their energy and perk up one’s way of looking on life.

Sowa-Rig-Pa

Sowa-Rig-pa (Bodh-Kyi) means ‘science of healing’ and the practitioners of this

medicine are known as Amchi. It is believed to have its origin in India. Sowa-Rig-pa is a
science, art and philosophy that provide a holistic approach to health care on the basis of a
principled understanding of the body and its relationship to the environment. For treatment of
health problems, the system makes use of herbs, minerals, animal products, spring and mineral
water, mysticism and spiritual power.

Conclusion

It can be seen that more than 80% of the world population depends on traditional healing for
primary healthcare (World Health Organization 2002) and more than 25% of modern medical
drugs stem from traditional healing knowledge (World Health Organization 2002). Therefore, the
growth and importance of Indian Healing Traditions are still notified in the present century and
are believed to restore the health of the individuals. The main aim of the healing traditions

10 Source:-- indianmedicine. nic.in/writereaddata/.../3838812338-Introduction.pdf

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Source:-- http://www.soukya.com/naturopathy.php
pertaining to different religions is that—they seek to improve the welfare of the human race in
the society for their further advancement in life.

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