Ayurveda for People and Planet: Celebrating Health & Earth
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Aarihant Ayurvedic Medical College & Research Institute, affiliated with Swarrnim Startup & Innovation University, successfully organised a three-day celebration of National Ayurveda Day 2025 from September 20 to 23 at Swarrnim Plaza, Bhoyan Rathod Campus near Adalaj, Gandhinagar. Themed on ‘Ayurveda for People and Planet’, the event brought together at least 650 students and faculty members from the institute.
The Ministry of Ayush in India fixes the theme each year, and for 2025, the official theme is “Ayurveda for People & Planet. The celebration in Goa at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) was the national flagship event this year, highlighting the same theme. Swarrnim Startup & Innovation University is a recognised private university in Gujarat.
The university offers courses in health sciences, pharmacy, design, engineering and more.
Experts at the event showcased the unique strengths of Ayurveda in safeguarding the health and well-being of not just humans but also plants, animals and the environment. The 2025 theme especially stresses Ayurveda’s role in planetary health, promoting harmony with nature, not just treating human illness. Several programs under Ayush in recent years have aimed at veterinary Ayurveda and its use in agriculture, to extend benefits beyond humans.
Promoting medicinal plants and species conservation connects Ayurveda to biodiversity and ecological balance. The idea behind the observance was to help cultivate a culture of transitioning from illness to wellness, while building trust in Ayurveda as a scientific, evidence-based system of medicine relevant in today’s world.
The Ayush Ministry has emphasised in official releases that Ayurveda should be evidence-based and integrated into national health policies. The Ayurveda Day website states one objective is “to reduce disease burden by harnessing the untapped potential of Ayurveda. Over the years, more research bodies, journals, and standard treatment guidelines in Ayurveda have been encouraged to raise scientific credibility.
The festivities commenced on September 20 with a medical and wellness camp at Mahadev Mandir in Jalud, where a team of senior faculty doctors provided consultations to over fifty patients suffering from conditions such as Aamvata, Sandhigat Vata, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, Amlapitta and ENT-related ailments.
Health camps are a common way to connect Ayurveda institutions with local communities, bringing free or low-cost screening and treatment. Many Ayurvedic colleges and institutions do such outreach as part of their public service and academic mission. In similar events elsewhere, camps provide Panchakarma consultations, herbal medicine advice, dietary plans and follow-ups.
Phistry services were also extended to the community members. On September 22, the focus shifted to public awareness and wellness activities with a spirited walkathon, Ayurpath, and a street play staged by students to spread knowledge about the benefits of Ayurvedic practices and therapies.
Walkathons and public awareness walks are used in many Ayurveda Day celebrations to promote a healthy lifestyle and visibility. Street plays are a creative way for students to engage the public in rural or semi-urban settings, translating technical ideas into everyday stories.
Many institutions run “pathya” or healthy diet trials (Ayurpath) to teach dietary habits in line with Ayurveda. drive, where medicinal plant saplings were distributed to promote sustainable living, and Registrar Dr Hiren Kadikar was felicitated with a symbolic gift of a plant. Later, interactive sessions with students were held, and dedicated sessions on various topics around health were conducted by senior faculty members.
Plantation drives of medicinal plants help spread awareness of Ayurveda’s reliance on botanicals, and assist in local biodiversity enhancement. Many Ayurveda Day events across India include such sapling distribution to encourage people to grow medicinal herbs at home. Interactive student sessions help embed knowledge, encourage research ideas and connect theory with practice. (General observation)
The inaugural ceremony was graced by distinguished guests from allied health sciences including Dr Hiren Kadikar, Registrar, Dr Amita Peter, Principal of Aarihant Homeopathic College, Dr Manisha Rathi, Principal of Venus Institute of Physiotherapy, Dr Amit Vyas, Principal of Aarihant Nursing College, Mr Jaimin Patel, Deputy Registrar, Dr Vikash Sharma, Principal of SSCIT, and Mr Harsh Trivedi, Associate Academic Director.
In many academic events, including Ayurveda Day, invitational leadership from related colleges (nursing, physiotherapy, homoeopathy) shows interdisciplinary respect and collaboration.
The presence of allied health links supports integrated health education and mutual visibility among different systems of care. Reflecting on the celebration, Director of Ayurveda, Vd. Rakesh Salve emphasised the dual role of Ayurveda in promoting individual health and environmental sustainability.
This dual role is exactly aligned with the 2025 theme: Ayurveda for People and Planet. People often connect Ayurveda with personal wellness; linking it to environmental sustainability helps broaden its appeal in modern sustainable development discourse. Principal Dr Abhinav Sonawane also spoke about the importance of young Ayurvedic scholars in carrying forward this ancient wisdom to global platforms.
Many advocates believe that new generation practitioners can help modernise Ayurveda, publish in research journals, and connect with global health trends. There is a push to promote Ayurvedic education with international linkages, student exchange, and research collaborations.
A highlight of the day was the Pathya Anna Utsav, an exhibition of over thirty-five healthy Ayurvedic cuisines prepared by students, alongside the Ayuradarshana Expo, which displayed educational models, medicinal preparations, raw drugs, cosmetics and diagnostic tools.
Food is a central pillar in Ayurveda (“ahara”), and exhibitions of healthy recipes help people see how Ayurveda can fit into daily meals. Many Ayurveda Day events include “Ayurveda Aahara” or healthy diet exhibitions. The expo of raw drugs, cosmetics and diagnostic tools helps students and visitors see real materials and lab setups used in Ayurvedic education and practice.
Expert talks were also conducted by Ayurveda Experts along with Yoga and meditation sessions for students, and the day concluded with a valedictory ceremony, prize distribution and a heartfelt vote of thanks. Expert talks are central to such events to bring knowledge, research updates, case studies, and inspire attendees.
Yoga and meditation tie into Ayurveda’s holistic health system (body + mind + spirit). Many Ayurveda Day programs include them. Prize distribution helps motivate students, reward competitions (e.g. essay, poster, quiz), and recognise contributions.
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