At about 3am around this time last year in India, I was abruptly awoken to the sound of what I later found out to be local (yes, very local) fireworks. 3am-excitement is hard to contain when it’s your New Year and you have a celebration awaiting you which draws on so many stories and traditions inherent to your culture and to your identity. Identity is also integral to any system of medicine or healing, even biomedicine, and as Diwali is upon us, it is interesting to consider at least some of the cultural aspects of Ayurvedic Medicine in order to evoke a better understanding of its meaning and application.
photo credit: Travel Plan India, Rajasthan Travel
This year, October 26th marks the first day of Diwali, otherwise known as the “festival of lights” which celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the lifting of spiritual darkness with the light of hope. More
