NAGPUR: First signal that the chanting of the mantras and prayers at the Dhanwantari puja at Baidyanath Bhavan on Thursday evening that the audience got was that it was a traditional religious programme and all those standing there with folded hands were believers of tradition.

But as the proceedings unfolded, gradually it turned out to be a gathering of some extremely knowledgeable teachers, researchers, practitioners, scientists, conservationists and experts of Ayurveda. These were experts and veterans in their own fields even at young ages. And that was the reason why Baidyanath was felicitating them.

One of them was a writer and publisher, the other a researcher, the third a retired government medical officer, fourth a government college teacher and the fifth a hardcore practitioner. But all of them are making a sizeable contribution in their own way to Ayurveda.

"Ayurveda Amratanam", believes B P Tamrakar, a professor of Ayurveda from Bhilai. He says that Ayurvedic medicines are like amrit or - and cure a disease completely by treating the root cause of the disease. Diseases like sickle cell, thalassemia, hepatitis B and E and even cancer, which remain a challenge for the Allopathic doctors, too can be treated and managed well with Ayurveda. Tamrakar says, "Ayurveda can cure sickle cell to about 90%, turn hepatitis B and E positive patients to negative and prolong the duration between blood transfusions required by a thalassemia patient. But this is possible with right integration of modern medicine with Ayurveda." He has treated 150 sickle cell patients, 70 hepatitis infections and is conducting research with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Delhi.

Tamrakar has no hesitation in admitting that modern diagnostic sciences like pathology and other investigative testing can be used to diagnose the disease. "I use Allopathy to diagnose the disease rightly, Ayurvedic medicine to treat the patient and selected diet to prevent diseases," he says.

Brahmanand Nayak, an MD in Ayurveda from Bangalore, has been bringing out a research journal, first and only one of its kind published from 12 countries simultaneously. "Medicine is a science and so is Ayurveda. But we have not been able to share this fact with the world. Though research in Ayurveda may be in infancy stage, evidence is fast pouring in on how the plant-based medicines work at molecular levels. I do the job of taking this evidence to the world," Nayak said.

Rajshree Kulkarni from Nashik is trying to prove in her own way that there is a science behind 'Garbha Sanskar'. She has authored a book on the subject and treats a pregnant woman from the first month to the delivery through Ayurveda. "We tell the would-be parents to talk to the child in the womb daily. It helps the baby's growth in right direction," she claims.

Rajesh Shukla, a retired medical officer from Sagar, strongly believes that medicinal plants should be preserved and grown in their natural environment without using any chemicals like fertilisers. This prevents the plant from absorbing any heavy metals.

Govind Asati, a teacher at government Ayurved College in city, holds the Ayurvedic practitioners and researchers responsible for the delay in required recognition to Ayurveda as a national system of medicine. "We have failed to take this science to even our own people in the right way," he says.