Marthanda Varma Sankaran Valiathan was born in Mavelikara in the district of Alappuzha, of Travancore State (now Kerala). In an interview, he credited his parents for his interest in Sanskrit, Malayalam, English, music and ethical conduct. There were several physic...

Background: Culturally competent healthcare improves patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Many drugs, dressings and implants have human or animal-derived content which may conflict with patients’ religious beliefs, and may even have medicolegal implications....

Background: The curricula of Ayurveda programmes emphasise various theoretical constructs such as Tridosha (three factors determining the state of health), Agnibala (digestive strength), Samprapti (patho-physiology), among others. It is often argued that practition...