Month: October 2024

A beautiful dawn! Rangoli in front of everyone’s doorstep, rows of diyas on windows, decorative lights, crackers and fireworks! A pleasant atmosphere everywhere. Houses are full of guests, with overflowing joy. New clothes and ornaments add more joy to this setting. The aroma of perfume and incense sticks in the air. A variety of sumptuous, sweet and spicy food! Diwali is such a happy and refreshing festival.

The first day of Diwali is ‘Narak Chaturdashi’ . On this day, we wake up early in the morning and take a ‘Abhyansnan’(oil bath). That’s why, on the occasion of ‘Narak Chaturdashi’, we are going to talk about the special ritual of ‘Abhyang’. Diwali is celebrated in the month of October – November. The date changes according to the Panchang. However, during Diwali the amount of heat that was present in October, is decreased. Due to the start of the winter solstice, the days gradually become shorter, and the nights longer. Around the same time, due to the slanted rays of the sun, the heat in the atmosphere reduces and cold begins to set in. Diwali is celebrated in such cold pink weather.

The tradition of ‘Abhyangsnan’ is included in Diwali due to the cold outside atmosphere. This cold temperature affects our skin and makes it dry. With increasing cold,  many problems like cracking of skin may occur . ‘Abhyang’ helps to protect the skin against these effects of the cold. Abhyang means massaging the skin with oil. The oil used in Abhyang removes dryness from skin and restores moisture. The skin that has contracted due to the cold becomes soft and gentle. It also strengthens the skin, makes it refreshed and glowing. It also helps in improving the skin color. It improves the skin’s ability to perceive touch. As we become older, ‘aging’ signs such as skin wrinkles and loose skin begin to show on our bodies. Abhyang postpones the onset of these symptoms.

 Abhyang has many more benefits. In ‘Abhyang’, the oil used is absorbed into the body and strengthens the muscles. It helps to increase the body’s strength. Therefore, wrestlers massage their bodies after exercise. The cool outside temperature causes an increase in Vaat dosha. This leads to problems caused by increased Vaat dosha such as joint paid, knee pain and back pain. The use of Abhyang reduces this Vaat dosha which in turn reduces the diseases caused by it. It increases the heat in the body and helps to protect the body against the cold. Massage is beneficial in reducing fatigue due to excessive physical exertion. It boosts the body’s ability to accomplish physically demanding tasks. It also increases the strength of the body to bear any  external impact. The moisture in the oil used in Abhyang makes the body flexible. The cold season naturally strengthens the body. This oil massage contributes to this strengthening function of nature. Regularly oiling vehicles boosts their operation and longevity. Similarly, Abhyang boosts our body’s strength. It also helps us to maintain our youth for a longer period of time.

There are a lot of benefits of Abhyang. Therefore, the authors of Ayurvedic books have mentioned that it should be done not only during the cold season but also throughout the year. For this reason, it is also included in Dincharya. We can use coconut or sesame oil for Abhyang. Medicated oils like Bala oil and Narayan oil can also be used. During Diwali, scented oils are used for Abhyang. These oils refresh our mind. Such scented oils can be used throughout the year.

If it is not possible to do the Abhyang due to busy mornings, it can also be done at night while watching TV. Actually, it is necessary to massage our entire body. However, if the whole-body massage is not feasible then, we should at least apply a small amount of oil on our body. Oil should be applied on the head, feet and ears exclusively if the body massage is not possible. On the occasion of Diwali, we started talking about Abhyang. We can discuss more about this later.

Dr Mayuresh Aagte

Note : Please use all the medications mentioned in this article after consultation with your doctor

Kojagiri Pournima and the Starry nights in Sharad Rutu

In the last article, we discussed Sharad Rutu in relation to Dasara and Navratri, and the use of Marigold and Apta during these festivals. This gave us a glimpse of the scientific approach behind our Indian tradition. We are going to talk about the Sharad Rutu, under the starry nights of Sharad Rutu.

In the month of October, everybody is exhausted due to the intense heat throughout the day. We feel the heat more after the cool rainy season. Nature has compensated for this trouble by showering us with beautiful starry nights. The starry nights in this season are more picturesque than the nights in any other season. It is because of the pleasant existence of such a starry nights that the phrase ‘Sharadache chandane’(Moonlight of Sharad Rutu) became popular! Moonlight is always considered to be ‘cool’. However, this moonlight in Sharad Rutu is exceptionally cool. Ayurveda has used this coolness of the moonlight to protect our health in the form of ‘Kojagiri Pournima’

In the last article, we saw that increased Pitta dosha can cause problems like body heat and bleeding. The increased heat in the environment aggravates the Pitta dosha. Milk is helpful to reduce such increased Pitta dosha. Milk is cool and Pitta shamak(reducing) in nature. Therefore, the consumption of Milk is very beneficial in this season. Ayurveda has combined the Pitta reducing properties of milk with the soothing starry nights! The cool starry nights in Sharad Rutu also have favorable effects on our health. It helps to minimize the heat caused by the intense sun.

During this season, the entire sky sparkles in moonlight. The consumption of Milk under the moonlight is a perfect approach to protect our health. We should add a lot of sugar when consuming this Milk since sugar is also Pitta shamak(reducing) and cool in nature. Similarly, we should also add foods like Almonds, Pista and dried Dates. These foods help to relieve the fatigue caused by the heat during the day. Furthermore, it adds nutritional value to the milk. Foods like Velachi (Cardamom) are not only Pitta shamak but also provides great aroma to the Milk. The Milk should be boiled properly as it becomes easier to digest. It should then be kept under the moonlight for cooling. After this, it can be consumed. The soothing property of this moonlight has a favorable effect on the Milk. Therefore, consumption of such milk under the moonlight is beneficial in reducing the diseases caused by Pitta dosha. It also helps to reduce fatigue and refresh our bodies.

Ayurveda has used this “Kojagiri Pournima” to achieve all these objectives. The true scientific purpose of Kojagiri Pournima is to protect our health by following this tradition during Sharad Rutu. Of course, it does not imply that we should drink milk only on Kojagiri. Rather we should consume it throughout Sharad Rutu. On the occasion of Kojagiri Pournima, we revisit this tradition of Sharad Rutucharya.

Like the starry nights in Sharad Rutu, one more reference is found about constellation in the ancient Ayurveda books. In the rainy season, the water in rivers and lakes is not suitable for drinking due to contamination. However, by October, the water has been drained. Under the starry night, it becomes cool. Constellation in the sky has an influence on water. As a result, the water becomes purer and more fit for drinking. Around this time, the Agasti star rises in the sky. Under the light of this sky, the water in rivers and lakes becomes more pure and clear. Ayurveda has termed this water as ‘Hansodak’. Hansodak means water that is pure like Hansa(swan) or water suitable for Hansa. It is mentioned in our old books of Ayurveda that this Hansodak should be used for drinking and bathing. 

Friends, I would like to make a different point while describing the water in Sharad Rutucharyaa. Now a days , in any lecture, function or articles, everyone says that research should be done in Ayurveda. Actually, the basic principles of Ayurveda are so firm that research seems to be impossible. Then there are areas, such as water in Sharad Rutu, that can be proven with contemporary techniques like biochemistry and chemical analysis. We may use these approaches to examine the water and determine when it becomes clean in Sharad Rutu. If we continue to test the polluted water and the same water after storing it under the starry nights of Sharad Rutu. These investigations and research may prove the purity and clarity of water. This observation made by our ancestors can be shown ‘on paper’ with the help of modern  techniques . In doing so, the principles of Ayurveda or the ancient sciences can be reconciled without altering their principles and disturbing their values . In this way, Ayurveda may be combined with modern science.

Dr Mayuresh Aagte

Note : Please use all the medications mentioned in this article after consultation with your doctor.

During the rainy season, nature changes its entire appearance. It seems like nature has been reborn. The earth seems to have been laid out with green carpets or our mother nature is dressed in a green saree like a new bride. The incessant rain of July and August slowly decreases in September. The Sun, which was rarely seen during the rainy season, is now slowly showing his presence daily. In early September we normally see the bright yellow sunlight, sometimes cloudy skies along with the occasional mild showers. This hide and seek of sunlight and rains continues for a few days.  As the days progress, the rain decreases and the heat in the environment increases. The intensity of heat is felt more during the entire day. By now, the month of October has started. Due to the scorching heat of October, it is known as “October heat”! During this season, even though the days are very hot, at night nature showers us with the beautiful moonlight. We call this type of weather as “Sharad Rutu”.

During Sharad rutu, the chill of the rainy season reduces and the sun starts to shine brightly, which in turn increases the heat in the atmosphere. This increased heat impacts our body. During the rainy season, along with the Vaat Prakop(Outburst), the Pitta dosha also starts accumulating. We have already seen this in the description of Varsha Rutucharya. During Sharad rutu, the increased heat in the atmosphere pacifies the Vaat dosha. However, it causes eruption of the Pitta dosha resulting in the Pitta Prakop(outburst). Therefore, Pitta related diseases are more likely to occur during this season.

It creates diseases such as burning sensation in the hands and feet, feeling heat in the stomach, acidity, bleeding from hemorrhoids, nose bleeds and Jaundice. Therefore, the main strategy in Sharad Rutu is to prevent Pitta Prakop from occurring.

With this background, our ancestors have chosen plants like Marigold and Apta for Navaratri. There are numerous festivals and poojas throughout the year, but these plants are not as important during those festivals. However, we cannot celebrate Navaratra without them. Our cultures have beautifully combined our body condition during this season with the properties of these plant. These plants play an important role in our health as they are Pitta shamak(Pitta reducing).The juice/extract of the Marigold flower is an excellent remedy for problems like intense body heat, heat in the stomach and acidity. It also immediately stops heat induced bleeding, occurring from any part of the body. The extract of Marigold flower can be used in case of bleeding due to hemorrhoids or nose bleeding. The churna(powder) of Marigold flower is also equally beneficial.

Pure ghee is also an excellent remedy for Pitta related problems. Therefore, extracts or churn(powder) of Marigold flower with pure ghee provides more benefits. The Marigold flower blooms during this period and therefore they are fresh, and their beneficial properties are at their best. This is the main purpose for choosing the Marigold flowers for Navaratra. Like Marigold, the Apta plant used to give as gold during Dasara, is also a Pitta shamak(reducing) plant. It is also useful to stop heat related bleeding. For this reason, both these plants are highly beneficial during the October heat. We bring these plants home for Navaratri. If anyone in the house is affected due to these diseases in Sharas rutu, these plants can be used to control the disease immediately.

Friends, our ancestors have not created these traditions just as a ritual or for promoting superstitions. On the contrary, they have used the “scientific” base of Ayurveda for celebrating such festivals without any problems. Our traditions have survived for years because they are completely scientific.

Dr Mayuresh Aagte

Note : Please use all the medications mentioned in this article after consultation with your doctor.

This is a story from the nineties. The Pune-Satara highway was only two lanes at the time. There were no windmills in the area surrounding Thoseghar and Chalkewadi. There were only one or two buses that went daily from Satara to Bamnoli (via Kas), with the exception of a few bikes on the Kas Road. The colorful flowers were usually visible to onlookers through the bus window. However, because it was so normal, no one would stop to take a closer look at them.

Windmills were created on the Chalkewadi Plateau as development progressed, and a few access roads to the Thoseghar area were constructed. With the addition of a road, the location gained popularity, as did the windmills and waterfall. Around that time, the Pune-Satara Road was widened to four lanes, and four-wheelers became a part of the middle-class lifestyle. Monsoon trips to places like Thoseghar, Sajjangad, Kas, and Bamnoli became a ritual for residents in western India. And then the horrible cycle of natural devastation began. Kas Lake became “Kach” (glass) Lake.  How did Kas-Thoseghar-Bamnoli’s nature change during this transformation? This is a short & not-so-sweet story on the adverse effects, primarily on the Kas Plateau.

Initially, some people started to come there on their bikes. They could see the flowers closely. There was no mobile phone with a camera connected to it, nor any sort of fence or guide. Therefore, People used to leave shortly after appreciating the flowers. Some individuals would pluck the flowers, while others would uproot the plant to put it in their garden. Some would run over or roll on the flowers . There were people who would carry the thin crust of soil along with them. Telling them about the conservation of environment and this wonderful piece of nature was pointless. Since, there were relatively few visitors, the damage was minimal.

During those days,  we would spot researcher in the distant corner of the Kas Plateau. They used to remind everyone from the bottom of their heart that we needed to preserve this ultimate heritage as much as possible. To protect it , we must treat it as a family member and  take the best possible care of it. Also, publish as little as possible. It was as if they knew exactly what the future held.

I remember somebody from them telling us that  our Sahyadri is embellished with all these flowers and biodiversity. It doesn’t mean that we should watch it quickly in few days. In fact, we can experience it throughout the year. Few decades ago, the same flowers were visible on Panchagani Plateau, but they have now disappeared due to excessive tourism. Interestingly, I have seen the same kind of flowers on the Panchagani Plateau after the Corona lockdown period.  If you give nature a space and some time, it will surely return.

Time moved on for 20 years. These days, everyone owns a car, a camera, and a lot of time. It is used  not to experience the beauty of nature but to engage in certain activities that they can post it on social media. In old days, the route from Pune to Satara used to take three hours, and the trip from Satara to Kas only twenty minutes. Even on holidays, it now takes two and a half to three hours to get to Satara and one and a half to two hours to reach Kas. The Satara-Kas Road, which was quite relaxed earlier, is now continuously busy. Now we can see the resorts on both sides of the road inviting not only people to stay in this beautiful nature but also to construct their second home in nature (sadly by destroying the same nature).

Why are we so stubborn ? Why Kas only. Given that Maharashtra has over 500 km of Sahyadri range then why are we only crowding in a 5–10 km stretch?  These kind of plateaus are everywhere in Sahyadri. These plateaus are formed after cooling of lava and the layer of soil is formed by the erosion of the upper layer of the plateau and these wildflowers blooms on that in all the season. This kind of scene can be found everywhere. Then, why are we travelling to such a long distance, wasting time and fuel and destroying nature when it is already in a fragile condition. Maybe there isn’t as much diversity or as much flowering on the other plateaus. However, by overcrowding Kas, should we allow the Kas Plateau to experience the same fate as Panchangani?.

Satara to Kas was a beautiful hill road with greenery and flowers on both sides. There wasn’t any hotel till Bamnoli. There were only one or two tea stalls. One at Petri and another near Yavateshwar and the rest was just nature. There used to be free movement for birds and animals and very limited movement of people and vehicles.

Not only Kas, but also places like Mulshi  (in the beginning of monsoon) , Konkan beaches (during winter) are getting crowded. This is leaving a mark on our nature which cannot be erased. There are so many hills near Pune and luckily the biodiversity still persists there. Many organization are trying to restore the biodiversity. Instead of taking a booster dose of travelling to Kas, Mulshi, and Bhigwan once a year, we can still enjoy it slowly. By working with such organizations, we can bring the Kas plateau closer to us and that too for a complete year !!

We can just take a quick walk up the hill closest to us to observer which tree have new leaves, which ones have new blooms. Some trees are shading leaves according to season. In branches of some tree, birds are nesting hurriedly. There are a lot of such scenes, we can store in our eyes and brain in such peaceful morning. How can we feel the fresh morning breeze, the mild scent of flowers and leaves,  sound of chirping birds into the already crowded Kas.

You’ll never notice how much time has passed when you’re sitting next to your favorite tree, carefully stroking its leaves and blooms and admiring its unique characteristics. Nobody will interrupt you at that time, and no one will be standing in line behind you or asking you to take their photo. If possible, we can keep a little notepad to document any changes in our environment. It could be related to the soil near the tree, the leaves, flowers, or birds around the tree, or the blue sky you see while relaxing near the tree. All of these memories will be unique to you.

Most importantly, all of these values should be consciously passed down to the next generation. Enjoying Monsoon does not mean shooting selfie under a crowded waterfall, eating Kanda Bhaji(pakoda) or performing a rain dance in a resort. Monsoon means waking up early morning  to listen the chirping of Pawasha (a bird similar to Chatak), closely observing the small streams, nearby canals, identifying the small flora and fauna around it. It is important to take our new generation to the nearby locations and show them the subtle changes in nature. The festivals in Shravan, have many rituals associated with leaves and flowers. These rituals were meant to connect us with the changing nature of the seasons.

Going in nature doesn’t imply rushing to a location and snatching some of its charm but rather it should be an experience earned through the numerous and tranquil visits. If we can persuade our younger generation that it is not a one-time event, but rather a part of our daily lives (Dincharya), we will be able to preserve Kas’s important heritage and our environment friendly traditions. Our forefathers have conserved this nature and legacy for thousands of years. We should now cherish and enhance it by our mature, active and environmentally conscious behavior. Then only we can prevent the destruction of heritage sites like Kas and that will be our true development.