Digital News Guru Health Desk:
Ayurveda Day 2025
On September 23, 2025, India will observe the 10th National Ayurveda Day with a landmark change and a theme that reflects rising global concerns: “Ayurveda for People & Planet.” This year, the celebration acquires renewed significance as the Government of India fixes September 23 as the permanent date for Ayurveda Day — moving away from the lunar-calendar-based observance on Dhanteras. The theme emphasises Ayurveda’s dual promise: nurturing human health and safeguarding the environment.
Why the Change in Date Matters
Previously, Ayurveda Day was celebrated annually on Dhanteras, which is the birth anniversary of Dhanvantari, the mythological healer and physician of the gods. But being tied to the lunar calendar, its date varied every year, leading to difficulties in planning and coordinating nationwide and international events. In March 2025, the government issued a Gazette Notification making September 23 the fixed date for Ayurveda Day every year. This change is seen as a way to give Ayurveda Day a stable, recognizable slot — enhancing both national participation and global acknowledgment.
Theme: Ayurveda for People & Planet
The theme for 2025, “Ayurveda for People & Planet,” signals a concerted effort to highlight Ayurveda not only as a system of health and healing but also as a sustainable, eco-friendly approach that connects personal wellness with planetary well-being. Ayurveda, by its ancient philosophy, emphasizes harmony between humans and nature — the balance of mind, body, and environment. Under this theme, the government aims to draw attention to how Ayurvedic practices, medicinal plants, local food traditions, and preventive lifestyle measures can contribute to reducing ecological stress, preserving biodiversity, and offering more sustainable health care choices.
Main Celebrations & Key Events
The flagship celebration is being held at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa. The event will be inaugurated by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of AYUSH. Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Power & New & Renewable Energy, will also be present.
Alongside the Goa event, nationwide observances are planned across states and union territories, plus international outreach through Indian Missions, universities, wellness organisations, and diaspora networks — continuing the global reach Ayurveda Day has achieved in recent years.
Some of the main features of the 2025 celebrations include:
- National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards 2025 — recognition for those who have significantly contributed to Ayurveda in fields like research, education, policy integration, international collaboration.
- Inauguration of new infrastructure at AIIA, Goa, including an Integrative Oncology Unit, Central Sterile Supply Department, Blood Storage Unit, Hospital Linen Processing & Care Unit, and the festival Ran-Bhaji Utsav which spotlights local forest vegetables and traditional food systems.
- Launch of new digital platforms and tools:
- Desh ka Swasthya Parikshan — a nationwide health check-campaign using the CCRAS-Swasthya Assessment Scale to promote preventive health.
- DRAVYA Portal — digitized retrieval of information on AYUSH substances, combining classical texts, scientific studies, and field data.
- APTA Portal — documentation of eminent personalities in Ayurveda, preserving their contributions for posterity.
- Public awareness & participation initiatives: health camps, awareness drives, yoga/meditation sessions, medicinal plant exhibitions, release of herb/flora-related publications, competitions (poster/essay etc.), and promoting use of local traditional foods.
- International collaboration: MoUs and partnerships are being signed with educational, research, and wellness institutions, and with foreign universities, to promote Ayurveda’s scientific credentials and global acceptance.
Objectives & Aspirations
The 2025 Ayurveda Day revolves around several key goals:
- Promote Preventive Care & Public Health
Encouraging people to adopt Ayurvedic lifestyle choices, not just as remedial care. The health-check campaign and awareness drives are meant to reduce the burden of lifestyle-related illnesses. - Strengthen the Science & Evidence Base
Through research, digital information platforms, standardisation of AYUSH substances, and documentation of best practices, the aim is to lend Ayurveda stronger credibility within modern healthcare systems. - Institutional & Infrastructure Growth
Upgrading hospital infrastructure, integrating Ayurveda with other health specialties (e.g. oncology), better support for facilities, ensuring supply units, sterile supply etc., to meet patient safety standards. - Sustainability & Environmental Harmony
Using traditional plant knowledge, promoting medicinal flora, encouraging local diets, integrating ecological consciousness in health decisions — all reinforcing that health is deeply tied to environmental wellbeing. - Global Outreach & Recognition
With overseas AYUSH Chairs, information cells, participation by Indian missions abroad, and collaboration with international bodies, Ayurveda Day 2025 seeks to project Ayurveda onto the world stage.
Challenges & Criticisms
While there is much optimism, several issues will need attention to ensure the theme “People & Planet” becomes more than symbolic:
- Scientific Validation and Standardisation: Ensuring that Ayurvedic practices or products promoted under this banner meet rigorous safety standards, especially those entering international markets.
- Sustainable Sourcing of Medicinal Plants: With promotion of medicinal plants and herbs, there is risk of over-harvesting, loss of biodiversity, or unsustainable cultivation if not managed carefully.
- Public Accessibility & Equity: Ensuring remote and marginalized communities benefit from health camps and outreach; affordability remains a challenge.
- Integrated Care & Coordination: Integrating Ayurveda with mainstream healthcare (especially in cases like oncology) requires careful regulation, evidence, and coordination to avoid conflict or dilution of standards.
Looking Forward
Ayurveda Day 2025 represents a pivotal moment: the institutionalization of a fixed date; an elevated theme connecting health with planet; and a wider scope of activity, from infrastructure to digital innovation. As the celebrations unfold, the success will be measured not just in events held, but in how people adopt Ayurvedic preventive health measures, how the environment benefits through sustainable practices, and how India’s traditional medical wisdom secures greater scientific and global validation.
Ultimately, “Ayurveda for People & Planet” is more than a slogan. It is a call to reconnect our healthcare choices with ecological balance, to view wellness in a wider context, and to ground modern health ambitions in ancient wisdom adapted for the 21st century. If implemented thoughtfully, this Ayurveda Day could plant seeds—both literal and metaphorical—for healthier individuals and a healthier planet.
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