Narendranath

Narendranath is the guardian of a dying heritage. At his tiny shop in Fort Cochin, shrunken in the course of time with the dwindling number of visitors, he reigns as the devoted practitioner of an age-old system of medicine, a rich and valuable legacy left with him by his forefathers. The shelves are filled with dried herbs, roots, seeds, barks and various other plant products which goes into the making of Ayurvedic medicines. People visit Narendranath's store with the prescription by a vaidyan (traditional practitioner of the Ayurvedic system of medicine) and he gives them the required ingredients in the right proportions for making the medicines. Traditionally, the prescription by a vaidyan is like a formula, listing the ingredients for a medical preparation in the required quantities, along with the method of preparation. After buying the ingredients, the patients make the medicines at home.

SPIRIT to discover

NARENDRANATH

STORY to share

THE GUARDIAN OF A DYING HERITAGE

STYLE to experience

AYURVEDA & MEDICINES

INDIA, KERALA, COCHIN

The medicine man

Meeting with Narendranath, the guardian of a dying heritage, is part of Ayurveda Trails and Cochin Trails. We will try to answer questions: “What is ayurveda? How is this ancient medical system connected with yoga, meditation, healthy food, relaxation in nature and modern life style?”

Photo: Sudhith Xavier

STORY to share

THE GUARDIAN OF A DYING HERITAGE

Meeting with Narendranath, the guardian of a dying heritage, is part of AY URVEDA TRAILS and COCHIN TRAILS.

"What is ayurveda? How is this ancient medical system connected with yoga, meditation, healthy food, relaxation in Â nature Â and modern life style?"

Ayurveda Trails are dedicated to everyone, who is searching answers to these questions. It does not want to be anything else, but art expression of healthy life style inspired by Indian ancient healing traditions, creating harmony with the dynamics of contemporary life.

Ayurveda Trails does not aspire to scientifically define ayurveda as a medicine system, or to provide complex explanations. In the contemporary technology driven world, where the natural poetry and joy of life is missing, we would like to highlight some aspects of ayurveda that allow us to rediscover ourselves and the potential hidden within us.

Ayurveda is a science of life and it is a spiritual science. It does not deal with treating patients and their diseases. It has a far more supreme goal - to bring about understanding of what a human being is in his true nature. It makes one understand that everything we need, we already have. The five elements, from which everything is composed: earth, water, fire, air and space, can provide us with all the energy we need for our life. This energy was given to us freely by nature.Â

SPIRIT to discover