Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine practiced in India for centuries. It is one of the world's oldest holistic therapies based on the belief that achieving a balance between body, mind and spirit is crucial for overall health. Ayurveda maintains this balance with the help of natural remedies, individual diet, lifestyle adjustments and herbal treatment. Ayurveda also offers one of the most complete ‘cleansing’ protocols available today – ‘Panchakarmas’ (i.e. 5 treatment protocols), which helps eliminate toxins accumulated in the body, thereby curing chronic diseases.

Recognizing the great advantage of Ayurveda, the Government of India has taken many steps to promote it. The AYUSH Ministry was established to promote research and development in the field of Ayurveda, including through international inter-institutional cooperation. A National Ayurvedic Mission has been formulated, within the framework of which more than 8000 health and well-being centers function. The first WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine will appear in the Indian state of Gujarat, which will work on ensuring the quality, safety, effectiveness, accessibility and rational use of traditional medicines, as well as optimizing the contribution of Ayurveda and other similar systems to overall health. In August 2023, India and WHO held the first Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on the theme "Towards health and well-being for all". The Summit concluded with the adoption of the "Gujarat Declaration", which provides for traditional complementary and integrative evidence-based medical intervention to solve pressing health problems in the world and achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

Another landmark step was the fact that this year the Indian government began issuing a separate category of visas called the ‘AYUSH Visa’ to enable patients visiting India to undergo treatment at world-class Ayurvedic institutes throughout the country, such as the All India Institute of Ayurveda (New Delhi), the National Institute of Ayurveda (Jaipur) and the Institute of Ayurveda Education and Research (Jamnagar). I urge our Turkmen friends to use the new visa services. In addition, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has been offering the AYUSH Scholarship Program to international students for several years. Interested candidates can apply for Undergraduate, Graduate and doctoral courses in Ayurveda and related disciplines at various Indian universities/institutes. The scholarship covers all expenses and everyone can use it.

To highlight the benefits of Ayurveda and popularize its use around the world, the Government of India annually celebrates ‘Ayurveda Day". In 2023, the 8th Day of Ayurveda will be celebrated on November 10 and will be dedicated to the theme ‘Ayurveda for Unified Health’. This embodies the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (i.e. 'the world is one family'), which is also the motto of India's current presidency of the G20. By the Day of Ayurveda this year, our government decided to use Ayurveda to ensure the well-being of not only people, but also the environment, plants and animals through agro-Ayurveda, sustainable agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, food safety, etc. A month-long campaign on Ayurveda will be held in India, including exhibitions; medical camps; dissemination of research results; public awareness lectures, etc.

Ayurveda in Turkmenistan:

Turkmenistan is one of the many countries that have recognized Ayurveda as the official system of medicine. Let me remind you that during the visit of the Distinguished Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi to Turkmenistan in July 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of yoga and traditional medicine was signed between the two countries. Within the framework of this cooperation, the first of its kind Yoga and Traditional Medicine Center in Central Asia was opened on the basis of the Bagtyıarlyk sports complex in Ashgabat. An Indian expert on Ayurveda has been appointed to work at the center, who teaches at the State Medical University in Ashgabat, and also offers free consultations on Ayurveda for the general population at the center. In the future, we hope to expand the activities related to Ayurveda to all velayats of Turkmenistan through regular counseling camps, lectures, exhibitions, etc.

In conclusion, I would like to invite all citizens of Turkmenistan to join the celebration of Ayurveda Day 2023 and experience the deep healing possibilities of Ayurveda, thereby embarking on the path to a healthier and more balanced life.

Dr. Vidhu Nair,

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Turkmenistan.