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Ayurvastra: A miracle mediherbal cloth

Article  in  Medicinal Plants - International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries · March 2015
DOI: 10.5958/0975-6892.2015.00001.5

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 Ayurvastra: A miracle mediherbal cl oth 1
M ini Review

Ayur vastr a: A mir acle mediher bal cloth

M amta and Anita Rani
Department of Clothing and Textiles, Col lege of Home Sci ence,
G.B. Pant Universi ty of Agri cul ture & Technology, Pantnagar - 263145, U.S. Nagar, Uttarakhand, India

ABSTRACT

Ayurveda is an ancient medical treatise, summarizing the art of healing and prol onging li fe and is practiced in
India for more than 5,000 years. It is regarded as an alternative f orm of medici ne. Now the same ayurveda is
brought into Ayurvastra, the medical dress. This is the article on Ayurvastra whi ch is the cloth made f rom organic
cotton fabric that has been special ly treated with medi cinal herbs to impart not onl y medici nal properti es but also
beautiful hues to the textil es. Its production does not add up to environment poll uti on. It is now being used
extensively for treatment of wi de range of diseases such as di abetes, skin inf ecti ons li ke eczema, body acne,
hypertension, asthma, arthri tis, rheumati sm, etc. With people becoming more heal th conscious all over the worl d,
‘Ayurvastra’ fabrics have great scope in times to come. Ayurvastra not only rei nforces the importance of sustaining
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the planet f or future generations but also consi ders the well being of current generati ons using age ol d practices.
Ayurvastra can play effective role in revival and elevation of the market f or eco-fri endly fabrics. Thus, i t may be
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taken as emergi ng or new area of entrepreneurship and job opportunity for young peopl e at one hand and on the
other contribute towards offeri ng economi c stabil ity to nation. [M edi cinal Plants 2015; 7(1) : 1-8]

K eywor ds : Ayurvastra, treatment of disease, envi ronment, sustainable, herbs, herbal dyei ng

I NTRODUCTION used as a medium f or ayurvedic treatment. The skin

received the medici nal benef i ts of these herbs through
Ayurveda works by bal anci ng the three doshas the contact to clothing, bedding, or coir mats (Patnaik,
(Tri dosha) i.e., Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which govern 2014).
the internal and external health of the body. Ayurvastra Ayurvastra cloth i s totally organic, sustainabl e and
is a branch of this ancient form of medicine (Anupama, bi odegradable. Ayurvastra or the ayurvedi c medi cinal
2012; Dhi ngra, 2014; Sharma, 2014). Ayur vastra cl oth are made of 100 per cent pure organic cotton or
invol ves an ancient technique of dyeing texti les usi ng silk, wool, jute and coir products that has been prepared
medi ci nal herbs. The concept of Ayur vastra was on hand l oom, processed and dyed by using various
practised in India before the i ndustrial ization made ayurvedic herbs to assimi late medicinal quali ties into
impact of the textile industry. Even today, in some them. Thus, these are free from any chemicals that may
parts of South Indi a, ayurvedi c herbal dyed cl othes are release toxins and i rri tants harmful to users as well as
used to carry a new born baby as tradition, which wi ll environment (Yadav and Nath, 2010). Also at the end
act as an antibacteri al barrier f or the chi ld. In ancient of use, it can be di sposed off easi ly owing to its
li terature too, there i s evidence that these cloths were biodegradable nature. I t can be used as ayurvedi c
treatment for diseases li ke diabetes, skin infections,
hypertension, asthma, arthri tis and al so for boosti ng
Cor r esponding author : Mamta immunity.
e-mail : [email protected] Al though Ayurvastra concept is known since old
ages but it was revitalized through a project submitted
Received : October 11, 2014; Accepted : January 5, 2015 to the state Government by a Weavers Society in Kerala,
doi : 10.5958/0975-6892.2015.00001.5
India. Thi s work was further developed and researched

Medicinal Plants, 7(1) March 2015

 2 Mamta and Rani

by the Ayurveda University of Kerala, India. Since 1992, body, especi ally when the chemical particl es are small
the Weavers Society has been putting thei r efforts enough, f rom the open sweat pores duri ng sweating.
towards ref ini ng the Ayurvastra technique to make eco The protective abi lity of our ski n has been reduced
fabrics suitable for modern use and to create dif ferent substantially due to this chemical exposure. The toxins
colours by using varied pl ants/herbs for di verse heal th that enter our body bi o-accumulate and have caused
benef its. This society is into the export of Ayurvastra harm to our health in the long run. These chemicals are
cl oth and clothing to the United States of America, not consumed compl etely duri ng textil e processes and
Italy, Germany, United Ki ngdom, Singapore, Taiwan, a signif i cant quantity of these i s released in effluent
Malaysia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. I n recent times, streaming that pollute water, air, land and destroy f lora
Government of India as well as other state governments and fauna that fl ourish on them. Ayurvastra f abri cs are
perceives Ayurvastra as a way to revive products of manuf actured wi thout any chemical process and are
handl oom sector through val ue addi ti on and thus eco-friendly. Normal fabrics like organically grown
diversif i cation. I t has been foreseen as an effort to cotton, jute, silk, wool, etc. are used to make Ayurvastra
increase the market for thei r handl oom industries and by dyeing them with the desi red herbs in a controll ed
to create a ni che f or thei r eco-f ri endl y handl oom temperature and envi ronment. Organically grown crops
fabrics.The Ayurvastra worldwide has motivated apparel i mprove the ferti li ty of the soil by promoti ng the
manuf acturing companies to start a line of Ayurvastra devel opment of earthworms and above ground
products whi ch are also offered over the i nternet such arthropods. Thus, organic f ields accommodate a greater
asAyurvastraonli ne(Srinivasan,2010). vari ety of pl ants, ani mal s and microorganisms and
uphol d biodiversi ty in the area (Sharma, 2014).
Ayur vastr a - pr otects envir onment The process of making Ayurvastra starts with the
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100 per cent pure organic f i bre and passes through

Skin conditi ons such as eczema and psoriasis. Certain
several stages of yarn and fabric manufacturing followed
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fabrics also contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory

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by varied treatments before becoming colorful and

properties. The fabric al so helps with conditions such
ready to wear. No machines are involved i n the dyei ng
as rheumatism, arthritis, blood pressure, diabetes and
process. More i mportantly, no chemical additives are
respi ratory conditions, such as asthma (Bucci, 2012;
added to prepare the f ibers for spinning and weavi ng
Dhingra, 2014).
and no chemical f i nishes are appl ied to enhance i ts
The most valuabl e time to wear Ayurvastra clothing
appearance and serviceability. The roots, flowers, leaves,
is when the body i s at rest such as duri ng sleep or
seeds and barks of around 200 herbs are used to make
medi tati on because thi s i s when the body i s re-
the dyes. The natural herbs are general ly f ound in very
establi shing bal ance through physiological heali ng.
beauti f ul and di sti nct shades. Ayur vastra i s al so
This makes use of Ayurvastra for sleep wear, bed sheets
becoming very popular for its colour. Every step in the
towel s, medi tation cl othes and coir mats a logi cal
preparation of vastra clothing is carefully and precisely
solution. Now a days the herb treated fabric is made
control l ed to avoi d contami nati on by harmf ul
into sari s, dresses and everyday clothi ng as these have
components present in environment. Most of the herbs
found use not only to cure but al so to prevent di seases
used in ayurvastra are procured l ocally or regional ly
bei ng capabl e of restri cti ng growth of pathogens
where they are grown organi cally and are extracted and
(Rangari et al ., 2012).
appli ed by age old saf e anci ent methodology. Thi s has
Years of unrestricted utili zation of natural resources
further served the traditi on of natural dyeing i n I ndi a.
and human ignorance about its effects has di minished
them and aged our planet. Recent cl imate change Ayur vastr a - mode of acti on
phenomenon and other prevai l i ng envi ronment
probl ems (aci d rai n, ozone l ayer depl eti on, ai r Conventional western medi cine and traditi onal eastern
pollution, global warming and pollution of sea and medi cine recognize the skin as being the body’s largest
rivers) are very dangerous. A study found that texti le organ. The skin functi ons as a protective barrier but
industry is the maj or consumer of chemi cal s. A li beral al so as a medium f or outside substances to enter the
use of harmf ul chemicals in the textile industry leads body. I n the same way that the ski n may absorb
to severe health problems to both the workers and environmental toxins and chemicals from conventional
consumers. These harmful chemi cal s come into direct cl othi ng, i t has the abi l ity to absorb vol atil e oi l s
and prol onged contact with our ski n causing ski n released from herbs used as natural dyes. Ayurveda
irritations, al lergies and even cancer. Some of these identif ies seven unique l ayers of the ski n where each
chemi cal s may even di ffuse through our skin into our layer has a distinct function. Starting from the outermost

Medicinal Plants, 7(1) March 2015

 Ayurvastra: A miracle mediherbal cl oth 3

l ayer, the seven l ayers def i ned by ayurveda are unique blend of over 40 herbs/plants for gummi ng as
Avabhasini, Lohi ta, Shweta, Tamra, Vedi ni, Rohini and well as synergi zing the heal th/wel lness benef its.
Mamsadhara (Dash, 1981).
The fourth layer, Tamra, supports the immune system (C) Medicati on (Dyeing)
and perf orms the f unction of acting as a fence. Skin
The organic cotton yarn or fabri c i s then medicated in
infections reflect an imbalance i n this layer. Cl othi ng
a caref ul l y control l ed mi xture of herbal medici ne
consi dered as ‘second ski n’ to wearer can pl ay a
preparati ons cal led Kashayas (meaning concoctions)
si gnif icant role in the overall heal th of our ski n. The
depending upon the health/wellness benef i ts required.
usage of Ayurvastra cloth i s based on the principle of
The word medication is used instead of dyeing because
touch. The close contact of Ayurvastra, next to the skin
the medicinal plants/herbs themselves give natural color
enhances body metabol ism whi ch leads to effecti ve
to f abrics. The temperature of the concoctions, the
eli minati on of body toxins. The herb-infused and herb-
duration and number of the medi cinal soaks, the blend
dyed organic fabri cs act as healing agents after the
of herbs and the equipment are careful ly used in a
heali ng content being absorbed through the skin. Each
fabri c i s i nfused wi th specif i c herb that can help treat controlled manner. Ayurvastra cl othes can be produced
in all ki nds of hues of red, yellow, green, blue, orange,
Ayur vastr a - manufactur ing pr ocess brown, ivory and black. The following Table 1 shows
that the col ours produced by diff erent herbs are (Bai d,
Processing refers to the series of operati ons performed 2014; Jai n, 2010; Kumar, 2014).
in making of a product. During making of Ayurvastra, By combi nation of bl ue, red and yell ow col ours,
around 200 herbs have been reported to be used f or various other colours are obtained. The medicated/dyed
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devel opi ng vari ous ef fects and col ors in cloth. Each cl oth is all owed to cool and repeatedly washed to
color is produced f rom a preparation that typical ly remove any loose particles and is always dried in shade.
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contains one or more pre-dominant herbs (like turmeric (A) Fi nishing : In thi s type of dyeing, f i nishing is
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in our turmeric clothing) along with 40 or more others, done by spri nkl ing pure water on the cloth
that are specif ically bl ended and carefully prepared and then stretching under pressure, using hand
medici nal herbs f rom plants’ flowers, roots, barks, etc. rolls, al oe vera, castor oil etc.
Diff erent processes are fol lowed depending on whether (B) Curing/seasoning : The dyed fabrics then go
raw woven f abri c or yarn is bei ng dyed. For handloom, through a seasoning process of 2 weeks or
the process starts with the cotton yarn and goes through more before they are ready for use (tailoring).
a process named de-sizing (to remove l oose parti cles, (C) Recycl i ng resi due : The enti re process i s
debri s, etc.). The common processes used i n organic. It does not poll ute the environment
manuf acturing of Ayurvastra are as fol lows: li ke synthetic dye. Sol id and liquid waste is
(A) Bl eaching separated through the process of f iltration and
used for farming purposes - as manure and for
The selected fabri c or yarn is f irst bleached using a watering the f i elds and the waste i s used as
preparati on based in cow urine. Cows pasture naturally bi o-manure and also to generate bio gas.
and also feed on 3 dif ferent types of medi cinal grass.
Many ayurvedic doctors consi der cow’s uri ne to be Ayur vastr a - cur e for dif fer ent diseases
highly benef icial in bal ancing an indivi dual’s “doshas”
Di sease i s an abnormal condi tion of the body that
or basic constituents of an i ndividual’s physi ology and
cause discomfort or disfunction or disinfect from injury,
psychology, strengthening the immune systems and as
insofar as the l atter is usually instaneously acquired.
an elixir in giving life (Rangari et al., 2012). The fabric
India possesses about 20,000 species of higher plants
or yarn i s also exposed to di rect sunl ight as part of the
and one third of it being endemi c and 500 species are
process.
categorized to have medicinal value. Because we use
(B) Gumming medici nal herbs, Ayurvastra have a lot of therapeutic
value. Thus, the fabric has been found very helpful f or
To make the colours bright and fast a number, proprietary peopl e suffering f rom ai lments and al so for boosti ng
gummi ng process is used bef ore dyeing that includes immunity depending upon the herb used to make the
pl ants li ke Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa), Kenduka dyes. The following Table 2 shows that di seases cured
(Di ospyrose ebenum), and f rui t extracts of Haritaki by dif ferent herbs (Evari sto, 2008; Lee, 2008; Maiti et
(Terminalia chebul a) etc. Each color/dye requires i ts al ., 2014; Patnaik, 2014; Venkatesh, 1976).

Medicinal Plants, 7(1) March 2015

 4 Mamta and Rani

Table 1. Colour s produced by different her bs

S.No. Colour H er bs used

1. Red Sandalwood (Santalum album), Saffl ower (Carthamus tinctori us), Madder Root (Rubia tinctorium)
2. Blue Indigo (Indi gofera tinctori a), Woad (Isatis ti nctori a), Sunt berry (Acacia ni lotica), Pivet (Li gustrum
vulgare)
3. Yell ow Pomegranate rind (Puni ca granatum), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Mari gold (Marigold tagetes), Saffron
(crocus sativus), Golden rod (Sol idago grandi s), Teak (Tectona grandis)
4. Orange Safflower (Carthamus tinctori us), Madder Root (Rubi a tinctorum), Mari gold (Marigold tagetes), Annota
(Bixa orellena), Lil y (Conval lari a majali s)
5. Green Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria), Neem (Azadirachta indica), A maltas (Cassia
fistula), Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
6. Brown Black cutch (Acacia catechu), Henna (Lawsoni a Inermi s)
7. Black Iron Scrap, Jaggery (Saccharum officinarum), Peanut Oil (Arachis hypogaea), Castor oil (Ricinus Communis)

Ayur vastr a - pr oducts Ayur vastr a - eff icacy

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Ayurvastra clothes are of two kinds: One category is for Many cli nical experiments have been conducted to
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show the effectiveness of Ayurvastra. It was f ound

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curing di seases and the other i s for well bei ng. First
category of cloths whi ch are used f or curing diseases through various trial s that such an envi ronment can
i.e. sleep wear, bed sheets towels, meditation cl othes help those suffering from skin diseases, arthritis, eczema,
psoriasis and rheumatism and blood pressure. All these
and coir mats. Apart from ayurvedic handloom clothes
trials showed a “marked improvement”(Krishnan, 2007;
l i ke sari s, T-shi rts, shi rts, trousers, kurtas, dhods,
Srini vasan, 2010)
chuddars, nightwear, fashion wear, sportswear and inner 1. The Dravyaguna Department (Ayurveda
wears, there are caps for heali ng headaches, goosery Pharmacol ogy Department) of Government
caps f or head balance, cooling caps, hair shining caps, ayurveda College conducted a month-long trial
hair strengthening caps, bandages, mask, and so on by using bedding, rugs and towels made from
(Baid, 2014). Ayurvastra and they f ound that it helped the

Table 2. Compar ison between Her bal and chemical dyeing process (K umar, 2014)

S.No. Pr ocess Her bal Dying Pr ocess Chemical Dyeing Pr ocess

1. Bleaching Cow Dung, Minerals Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), Chlorine
(Cl 2) etc.

2. Scouri ng Sea Salts, Sunli ght Caustic soda (NaOH)

3. Mercerizing Mineral s, Oils Caustic soda (NaOH), Acetic acid (CH 3COOH)

4. Dyeing Medicinal Herbs Dyes, Soda ash (Na2CO3), Caustic soda (NaOH), Sodium chloride
(NaCl)/ Glauber salt, Soap etc.
5. Dye Fixing Natural Oils Formaldehyde (HCHO)

6. Finishing Rol ls, Sugar, Oils Chemicals

7. Washing Rita, Khar, Natural Soaps Detergent

Medicinal Plants, 7(1) March 2015

 Ayurvastra: A miracle mediherbal cl oth 5

Table 3. Diseases cur ed by different her bs

S.No. Di seases M ain her bs

1. Arthritis Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii), Agathi (Sesbania grandiflora) and Manjishta (Rubia cordifolia)

2. Di abetes Touch-me-not (Mimosa pudi ca), Methi (Tri gonel la foenum-graecum), Gurhal (Hibiscus rosa-
sinensis), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Mahuva (Madhuca longifol ia),
Cumon/cumin seeds (Cumi num Cymi num), Champa flower (Magnolia champaca) and Shoe
fl ower (Hi bi scus rosa-si nensis)

3. Skin diseases Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Korphad (Aloe vera), Brajil wood (Caesalpi nia echinata), Neem
(Azadirachta indi ca), Castor (Ricinus Communi s), Sandal wood (Santalum album) and Indigo
(Indigofera ti nctoria), Amla (Emblica offi cinal is), Henna (Lawsoni a inermi s)

4. Hypertension Basi l (Oci mum basilicum), Baheda (Terminalia bellirica), Harad (Terminalia chebula), Methi
(Tri gonel la foenum-graecum), Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), Indigo (Indigofera tinctori a),
Anar (Punica granatum), Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula)

5. Anaemia Korphad (Al oe vera), Baheda, Myrobalan (Termi nal ia chebul a), Chireta/Chirayata (Swerti a
chirata), Champa (Magnolia champaca), Punamava (Boerhaavia diffusa), and Turmeric (Curcuma
longa)

6. Asthma Erandi (Ricinus communis), Basil (Oci mum basilicum), Malabar Nut (Adhatoda Vasi ca Nees),
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Vallipala (Tyl ophora i ndica), M yrobol on (Terminalia chebula), Arjun (Terminalia arjuna)
7. Psori asi s Turmeric (Curcuma longa), nirgandi (Vi tex negundo), amaltas (Cassi a fistul a), cl uster fig
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(Ficus racemosa), karanj (Pongami a pi nnata), black nightshade (Sol anum nigrum)
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8. Sleepl essness Cuscus/Khus-Khus (Vetiveria Zizanoides)

9. Headache Sandal wood (Santalum album)

10. Rheumatism Indian Borage (Tri chodesma indi cum), Aj owan (Trachyspermum ammi), Reetha (Sapi ndus
tri foliatus), Messi na Creeper (Ipomoea cairi ca)

11. Leprosy Manjistha (Rubia Cordi foli a)

12. HIV A IDS Korphad (Aloe vera), Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Indian Mulberry (Morinda pubescens), Turmeric
(Curcuma longa), Winter Cherry (Withani a somnifera)

patients who suffered from diseases like eczema, patients were dyed in Ayurvastra herbs and the
psoriasi s and rheumati sm. According to Dr. walls, f loors and cei lings in the patient’s room
Vi shwanathan, the f ormer Dean of the Drug were lined with Ayurvastra coir mats so that the
Research Department at Ayurveda College, “We pati ent were surrounded by Ayur vastra
treated around 40 people. And the response was medicated materials. The improvements i n the
remarkably good, especially in cases of arthritis health of patients suf fering from rheumati sm
and skin ai lments.” and arthritis are especi all y i nteresting because
2. A simi l ar study was conducted to test the rheumati sm and arthritis are not ski n disorders
eff icacy of medicated coi r mats too. Initiated and this indicate that the treatments might have
by the Mi nistry of Health, the Department of heal thy benef i ts that extend beyond the
Coi r Devel opment, Government of Keral a periphery of skin problems.
undertook a si x-month cl i ni cal tri al at the 3. In an increasingly fast-paced world, the main
Government Ayurveda Col l ege in probl em of the French peopl e conf ront i s
Thiruvananthapuram on patients suffering from sl eeplessness as a resul t of high stress or busy
rheumati sm, al lergy, hypertension, diabetes, work schedule. They came to Balarampuram in
psoriasis and other skin ailments. For the study, search of a sol uti on. They are now a sati sf i ed
al l cl othes, bed li nens and mattresses of the l ot wi th special ly made dress materi al and

Medicinal Plants, 7(1) March 2015

 6 Mamta and Rani

speci ally made bed-spreads and mattresses in including human food crops and used to generate
which Cuscus/Khus-Khus (Vetiveria Zizanoides) biogas.
used as mai n herb in dyeing solution. ● Some of the environmentally conscious industries
4. A developed country like America, the risk of engaged i n produci ng herbal texti l es, make
becomi ng obese i ncreasi ng as a resul t of organi cal l y recycl ed texti l e paper bags by
improved access to food, decreased physical stitching the l eftover organic and herbal dyed
acti vi ty, and the consumpti on of easi l y fabrics which can counter the growing hazard of
available fast foods, and another problem faced pl asti c bag poll ution.
by Ameri can people is skin diseases due to
di rect UV rays exposed to the body as a result (B) Weakness
of hi gh poll uti on and ozone depletion. They ● Natural fabri cs and dyes are poor substitutes f or
too wanted a solution from Kerala and came to
syntheti c col ors in terms of range and tonal
Balaramapuram. They are also satisf ied wi th
variations.
speci ally made dress material s by using more ● This cloth is more ef fective when the body is at
than 200 varieties of herbs and pl ants.
rest such as sl eeping or relaxati on because this
Based upon the successful results of these cli nical
is when the body is naturally healing and re-
trials, the Kerala State Government has initiated a more
establ ishing bal ance.
i n depth and expanded study i nto the possi bl e ● The process of maki ng ayur vastra i s very
effectiveness of Ayurvastra i n other diseases i ncl udi ng
complex, manual and time consuming.
some cancers. Now many eyes and ears from diff erent ● It is very important to fol low the correct care
parts of the world are tuned towards Kerala to have a
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instructions duri ng washing or dry cleaning the

lasting solution for their health problems through never
Ayurvastra. Thi s should be washed separately
failing ayurveda science.
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wi th bleach free detergent. For machine wash,

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gentl e cycle is recommended. This cloth should

SWOT analysi s of Ayur vast r a
be ironed with warm iron; steam iron is preferable
(A) Strength (Jain, 2010).
● Ayurvastra act as healing agents, also act as an (C) Opportuniti es
absorber through skin. Each f abri c i s i nfused
wi th speci f ic herbs that can help treat ski n
● There is increasing demand for Ayurvastra around
conditions. Herbs used in Ayurvastra are known the globe due to their affordabi lity. The pri ce of
to cure all ergi es havi ng anti-microbi al , anti - Ayurvastra is low. For exampl e the average costs
inflammatory properti es (Saluja, 2014). for chemical dye Rs. 3500 per kg whil e the
● Ayur vastra i s extra smooth and good f or average costs for herbal dye j ust Rs. 150 per kg.
transpi rati on that helps i n improving vari ous An Ayurvastra sari is pri ced above Rs. 300 than
di seases. I t may hel p treat a broad range of si lk sari goi ng up to Rs. 15000 (1 US$  65
di seases such as ski n i nf ecti ons, di abetes, INR).
eczema, psori asi s, hypertensi on, hi gh bl ood ● The spread of Ayurvastra into other cultures and
pressure, asthma and insomni a. regions of the world express the growing interest
● Ayurvastra can further be used as energy booster, i n more tradi ti onal and natural heal thcare
mood enhancer, and bl ood puri f i cati on and systems that are based upon restoring balance
cool i ng. and health through natural methods rather than
● It is mesmerizi ng to know that medici nal val ue through Western medicines.
of this cloth will be increased if cloth is bleached ● Globally, as many countries have been enforcing
wi th cow’s urine. a ban on texti les that have been col oured usi ng
● The wide array of unique natural ly occurri ng chemi cal dyes, this had been a body blow to the
colors can’t be dupl icated with synthetic dyes, handloom industry. At the same ti me, textil es
hence new shades can be devel oped, the effect dyed using natural vegetable dyes, especial ly
of which will not be lost even after constant use. medicinal pl ants, have been commanding a huge
● Herbal dyes don’t pollute like chemi cal dyes. market due to thei r obvi ous advantages.
Dye effluent during herbal dyei ng can irrigate ● Bul k producti on can be a possi bl e through
agriculture (used as bi o manure and compost), innovative techniques. Capacity of dyeing evenly

Medicinal Plants, 7(1) March 2015

 Ayurvastra: A miracle mediherbal cl oth 7

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