The sages of our country accepted Sharira, the body, as the primary means to accomplish Dhrama. It is believed that simultaneously with the manifestation of the Universe, Ayurveda also came into existence in order to maintain the body in healthy state. It is the first and the oldest science for protection of health and also the mother of all other existing systems of treatment in this world. Maharishi Charak has described Ayurveda as an eternal science. It is the only science which has the credit of protecting the health of our countrymen during the past several thousand years. Ayurveda is also an integral part of the Indian culture. Even today about 75% of the population of our country is being benefited by this system.
 

The All India Ayurvedic Congress (A.I.A.C) has been working for protection, propagation and promotion of the eternal science of Ayurveda since beginning of the last century. The Ayurvedic Congress was established in the year 1907 in the city of Nasik on the sacred banks of the river Godavari. This organisation is spread all over India. It has branches extending upto district level in every State of Indian Union. It is the sole representative body of the Vaidyas of the country. Thousands of Vaidyas from every nook and corner of the country take part in its programmes and functions.

Among the scholars and lovers of Ayurveda of the country who founded and promoted the All India Ayurvedic Congress and All India Ayurveda Vidyapeeth, under whose guidance it could make stupendous progress towards the achievement of its objectives are the names of the stalwarts like Shankardaji Pade Shastri, Maharashtra, Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, Uttar Pradesh, Maharaja Shri Ram Varma of Cochin, Kerala, Kunwar Saryu Prasad Singh Bahadur, Uttar Pradesh, Kj. Gananath Sen Saraswati, Bengal, Shri Krishna Shastri Kawade, Maharashtra, Shri Gangadhar Shastri Gune, Maharashtra, Shri Yadavji Trikamji Acharya, Gujarat, Kaviraj Brij Behari Chaturvedi, Bihar, Shri Jagannath Prasad Shukla, U.P., Shri Lakshmi Ram Swami, Rajasthan, Shri Manindra Kumar Mukerji, Bengal, Capt., G. Shrinivas Murthy, Tamilnadu, Rajvaidya Ram Prasad, Punjab, Shri Jiva Ram Kalidas Shastri, Gujarat, Shri Ram Narayan Shastri, Shri Khyaliram Dwivedi, Madhya Pradesh, Kav. Hari Ranjan Majumdar, Delhi, Dr. A. Lakshmipathi, Tamilnadu, Shri Govardhan Sharma Chhangani, Vidarbha, Padma Vibhusan Vaidyaratna Pt. Shiv Sharma, Punjab & Mumbai, Shri Anant Tripathi Sharma, Orissa, Shri Y. Parthnarain Pandit, Karnatak, Shri Lal Chand Prarthi, Himachal Pradesh, Shri Dharam Datt Vaidya, U.P. Rajvaidya Pt. Sitaram Mishra, Jaipur & Mumbai. Vaidya Pt. Ramgopal Sharma, Mumbai, Vaidya Maniram Sharma, Rajasthan. Prominent among the living luminaries who have been guiding the affairs of the congress since the last three decades are Padma- Vibhushan Ayurveda Shiromani Shri Brihaspati Dev Triguna, Delhi, Padambhusan Vaidya Pt. Shriram Sharma, Mumbai, PadamShri Vaidya Devendra Triguna, Delhi, Kaviraj G.L. Chanana, Delhi, Padma-Shri Arya Vaidya P.K. Warrier, Kerala, and others.
 

The primary object of the All India Ayurvedic Congress is to work for allround development of the science of Ayurveda and to secure for it a place of honour in the National policy culminating in its acceptance as National System of Medicine; to improve its educational standard, training facilities and encourage meaningful research in this system; to upgrade and extend its existing medical facilities in order to improve the health of the masses through its natural and harmless methods of prevention and cure of diseases, thereby improving the general health of the Indian Nation as a whole and also the world at large.

The All India Ayurvedic Congress has held as many as 57 Plenary Sessions so far. These were presided over by eminent scholars and lovers of Ayurveda, the names of some of whom are mentioned above. In the past distinguished dignitaries and National leaders like the President, Vice-President of India, Prime Minister, Dy. Prime Minister, Union Health Minister, Ministers and other senior administrators, graced these sessions by their presence from time to time.

Since its inception the All India Ayurvedic Congress has been working for the revival and advancement of Ayurvedic science and to get it accepted as the National System of Medicine. Its efforts in this direction have borne significant results in the form of establishment of the institutions like the Central Council of Research in Ayurveda and Siddha in 1969, Central Council of Indian Medicine in 1971, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur in 1976, State Boards of Indian Medicine for registration of the Ayurvedic practitioners, parity in pay scales and equal status for Vaidyas in Govt. service with their allopathic counterparts. The last but not the least among them are the establishment of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV) established on 11th Feb., 1988 with the main objective of promoting knowledge of Ayurveda, started functioning since 1991, for higher studies and specialised training in various disciplines of Ayurveda in the traditional guru shishya parampara..

The facilities for education and training of the Ayurvedic science were virtually non-existent in the country when the All India Ayurvedic Congress was founded. The negligent attitude towards Ayurveda of the then Government and the policy of propagation and expansion of Allopathic system by the British rulers, in pursuance of their vested interests, had brought Ayurveda in a very deplorable condition. Hence the All India Ayurveda Vidyapeeth was started in the year 1910 to function as the Academic wing of the Ayurvedic Congress. The Vidyapeeth made elaborate arrangements for teaching and training of Ayurveda throughout the country. More than 40,000 well trained Ayurvedic graduates produced by the Vidyapeeth are rendering health care service to the suffering masses even in far flung remote rural areas of the country. The Chopra Committee formed by the Government of India in 1946, stated in its report that during all the vicissitudes of times the graduates of the Vidyapeeth alone kept Ayurveda alive. Similarly, another Committee formed by the Govt. of India, the Uduppa Committee, commending the work of the Vidyapeeth stated that "It will not be an exaggeration to say that this non-official organisation has done good service to preserve and propagate the science of Ayurveda throughout the country at a time when Government was rather inactive in the development of Ayurveda" (Uduppa Committee Report).

In order to keep the Ayurvedic community acquainted with the activities and achievements of the Congress and to apprise them of the attitude, policies and programmes of the Government with regard to the development of the Ayurvedic science, the Congress started as its mouth piece a monthly Ayurvedic magazine in the year 1913. Research oriented articles of reputed and distinguished scholars, on the subjects concerning medicine and fundamental principles of Ayurveda, are published in this magazine. Besides, it has gone a long way in strengthening the organisational aspect of the Congress. This magazine entitled "Ayurved Mahasammelan Patrika" is now in the 94th year of publication. It is the oldest and the widely recognised Ayurvedic magazine of the country at present.

It was hoped that new avenues for development of Ayurveda will open with the attainment of freedom by the country and it will be given a due place in the National health services. It is regrettable that even after sixty years of independence the time has not yet come when the masses of the country could avail the benefits of Ayurveda's potentiality in full.
To start with, administration and implementation of Government Policies and Programmes on Ayurveda was in the hands of Directorate of Health Services, which was headed and staffed by Allopathic Doctors who are generally prejudiced against Ayurveda. The A.I.A.C. made persistent efforts for appointment of an adviser in Ayurveda in Planning Commission and establishment of separate department of Ayurveda in the Centre, so that proper and viable schemes for development and large scale utilization of Ayurveda could be evolved and their implementation ensured without hindrance
Besides this, appointment of Vaidyas in Rural Health Scheme, providing health care services based on Ayurveda in the Rural Health Centres, opening of Ayurvedic wings in every hospital run by the Central and State Governments and local and civic bodies, upgradation of hospitals attached to Ayurvedic teaching institutions etc. are some of the other important matters which are currently engaging attention of the All India Ayurvedic Congress.
It is a matter of satisfaction that the Central Government and some of the State Governments, acceding to the demands of A.I.A.C., have since decided to open an Ayurvedic/ISM wing in Allopathic hospitals as a matter of policy.

It is a tribute to Ayruvedic science that even the most advanced countries, frightened of the severe reactions and side effects of the Allopathic medicines, are now inclined to adopt the Ayurvedic system of medicine under various names like traditional medicine or herbal medicine. Ayuvedic Scholars of the All India Ayurvedic Congress have played a significant role in introducing and propagating Ayurveda abroad. They are still continuing this work relentlessly under the inspiring guidance of PadmaVibhushan RajVaidya Briháspati Dev Triguna, who is a world renowned physician and a great exponent of Ayurveda. As a result of all these efforts, the Government of Mauritius accorded recognition and gave a legal status to Ayurveda in their country by enacting a law to this effect in 1990. Presently, in as many as 20 countries of the world, research work in Ayurveda is going on with great enthusiasm and it is likely to be boosted further in the near future.

The All India Ayurvedic Congress owns a plot of land measuring 3-acres. Three big buildings are already constructed on this land and preparations for construction of the fourth are in progress. Thus the All India Ayurvedic Congress is well set to become an International Centre of Ayurveda. A Trust named, 'All India Ayurvedic Congress Trust' has been created for safeguarding and expansion of the property of the Congress.
It is proposed to establish institutions like postgraduate Ayurvedic College and Research Centre, an Outdoor and Indoor Ayuvedic Hospital and Health Centre etc. under the Dhanwantari Bhavan project. The All India Ayurvedic Congress is committed to achieve these objectives as early as possible. Presently a 50 bedded Ayurvedic Hospital run by the CCRAS, Ministry of Health , Govt. of India and office of National Academy of Ayurveda are functioning in the complex besides the Head Office of All India Ayurvedic Congress itself.

Centenary Celebrations It is a happy co-incidence that the A.I.A.C. is holding Centenary Celebrations throughout the country this year. The state units of the congress are organizing the celebrations at state-level involving prominent Ayurvedic personalities and political celebrities. The main function is tentatively planned to be held in New Delhi in March 2008 on a grand scale.