Due to its holistic approach, Ayurveda is now becoming an international healing art. Many countries are seriously thinking of implementing Ayurveda as a major health science. Since the main raw materials of Ayurvedic formulations are medicinal plants, and they are grown mainly in India, the Commercial Cultivation of these plants is guaranteed to garner in a rich source of income in the near future.
Institute is involved in preservation and cultivation of medicinal plants by developing medicinal herbal gardens, sacred herbal gardens and distributing free medicinal plants for general public. Various awareness programmes related to the identification and common use of medicinal plants, method of cultivation and importance of commercial cultivation is being regularly organized by the department of Dravyaguna Vijnana.
We had received International Organic Certification from SKAL, The Netherlands, for herbal gardens.
Herbal gardens are developed in Manipal at Ayurveda college campus. Apart from this medicinal plant gardens and sacred herbal gardens are developed at Bailur, Udupi. Yellare and Muniyal over an area of 20234 square metres. Around 2830 medicinal plants across 406 species are available in college campus with good irrigation facility. Herbal garden is attached with a demonstration room of about 50 square metres. A green house is erected to maintain the plants that require regulated climatic conditions.
Herbal gardens, where medicinal plants are grown, provide a ready source of raw materials for the preparation of such Ayurvedic medicine. Given the bright future and the ever growing popularity of Ayurvedic medicine, the demand for herbal raw materials is expected to increase by leaps and bounds.
The minimum requirement is 10 acres of land, preferably agricultural. The income from the herbal garden starts in 6 months, and the returns ensure that the entire capital amount, with interest, is recovered within 5 years, with profit. This is the case if the market is confined to India. The returns will be much higher and faster if the international market is exploited.
