Living in tune with the changing seasons by altering the routines and making necessary modifications to the dietary habits is the key to good health, according to the age-old tradition of Ayurveda. However, the new generation seems to have completely forgotten or ignored the time-tested tradition, which was once part of most Keralites’ life, says S.K. Rajesh Gurukkal of Bhargava Kalari Sangham, a prominent Kalari group in Malabar, which is organising a traditional Kalarimarma healing camp – Ayur-Karkkidakam, at Kottuli here from Wednesday.
The camp mainly aims to reintroduce and educate people about the fruits of undergoing ‘Uzhichil’ (massage) and taking medicated food items such as ‘Karkkidaka kanhi’ and ‘Kozhi marunnu’ in the month of Karkidakam that falls during the peak of the southwest monsoon, said Mr. Gurukkal in a press meet here.
Traditionally, Karkkidakam is the time when Keralites take a break from routine work to rejuvenate their body and mind with Ayurvedic medicines and Uzhichil of different types. It is high time people are sensitised to the dangers of completely neglecting the time-honoured physical rejuvenation methods and “annual servicing” of the body practised by our ancestors, says the Kalari and Panchakarma healing practitioner. “Taking Karkkidaka kanhi was part of our way of living earlier, which is almost unknown to the present generation,” he says.
A number of issues, including the growing number of lifestyle diseases and the problem of premature aging faced by people in the new generation, according to Mr. Gurukkal, can be attributed to the neglect of the old tradition by people.
“The extremely polluted circumstances the Keralites live in now and the hazardous food habits they follow make the annual rejuvenation session all the more important for them,” he said.
The camp will give live demonstrations on how the Uzhichil is carried out and how the revitalising medicines such as ‘Uluvakkanhi’ and ‘Karkkidaka kashayam’ are prepared at home. It will re-invite the attention of the old generation towards some vital responsibilities they owe to their own body while introducing to the new generation what they gravely miss by failing to look back to the lifestyle of their grandparents, he said.
For details, phone 9447385180.
The Bhargava Kalari Sangham in Kozhikode is organising a Kalarimarma healing camp at Kottuli.
