JOIN USA wide range of products from shampoos to Chavanprash were on display, for visitors to choose from. For a staunch believer in the Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) stream of medication, the three-day Ayush Arogya Expo 2015 has it all.
The expo, which was inaugurated in the City on Wednesday at the RBANMS grounds, offers Ayurvedic concoctions for common ailments such as cough and cold, gastritis, hairfall and skin irritations. It also includes preventive care medication, for which Ayush is best known.
Honey, amla juice and over- the-counter medicines were some among primary attractions at the expo. The stalls where free homeopathy, ayurvedic, unani and Siddha consultation was being provided were flocked by people. At the stall put up by the National Institute for Siddha, a body analysis is being offered, following which a food chart would be given. Simple yoga asanas for various ailments were also taught at the stall put up by the Central Council for Research and Yoga.
At the stall set up by the Bengaluru branch of the Department of Ayush, the visitors were given tips about using items available in the kitchen as medicines, vis-a-vis the theme ‘kitchen is also a pharmacy’.
On display were several products that are used in everyday life and their medicinal values. Dr Bharathi from the Ayush department, who was at the stall, said the Ayurvedic system was of the belief that various diseases were caused by the presence of toxins in the body. Referring to plants that are used in cooking, she said that most of those could be used as blood generators and purifiers.
Dr Ramalingiah, District Ayush Officer, Bengaluru district, said most parts of a plant that are discarded as useless have medicinal value. “Consuming four watermelon seeds a day is believed to regulate blood pressure. Not many know about it,” he said, adding, “With the consumption of seasonal food, most diseases can be controlled.”
Minister of State for Ayush, Sripad Yesso Naik, who spoke after inaugurating the event said, “The fair that began as a small initiative in 2001 has today grown into an event of national importance with more fairs being organised throughout the year.”
The Arogya Mela has helped educate people about Ayush as a result of which the demand for Ayush products has gone up, according to Naik.
Besides, he opined that such fairs played an important role in generating awareness about the range of remedies the traditional system has to offer and its efficacy.
So far 35 state-level and 17 national arogya fairs have been organised. Such fairs will soon be organised in Raipur, Guwahati, Jaipur and Bhubaneshwar.
Sri Sri Ravishankar, the founder of Art of Living, who was present on the occasion said that according to a recent survey conducted by the State sports ministry, it was found that only one out of 100 students in a school was physically fit. Fake parking tickets?
It was time to make a quick buck for men standing right at the entrance of the grounds, who told the visitors that it was mandatory for them to pay and park the vehicles. They charged as much as Rs 10 per hour.
However, the officials said that they had not assigned anyone to issue parking tickets.