Karkkidakam is one of the Malayalam months, normally Keralites calling it as “Panja Karkkidakam” or “Panja Masam”. Why is it so? What is the secret behind this month? All these things we are going to discuss here. Traditionally people have a fear about Karkidakam, it is only because of heavy rainfall during Karkidakam. The month is all about heavy rain, the surrounding is filled with water, the temperature will be low and it will be cold outside. Another major set back in Karkidakam is lack of availability of jobs due to heavy rain. This why Karkidakam is regarded as Panja Masam by Keralites.
According to Ayurvedic science, Karkidakam comes under the Varsha Ritu, so Vata dosha is will be in dominance and thus the Bala and Ojas (immunity) will be less. It can lead to the poor immune system, so chances of waterborne and airborne communicable diseases are high. During the old days, hospital facilities and qualified doctors were limited. Due to heavy rain and floods happening in the season reaching hospital were also a daunting task as the transportation facilities may fail. Another important factor is the availability of jobs during Karkidakam. Normally the daily wages laborers may affect badly due to downpour happening in Karkidakam. This leads to poverty, when an epidemic outburst, the poor people don’t have money for treatment and medicine. Poverty and starvation have accounted for the death of many people during Karkidakam. In case of epidemic outburst, it will take a long time to eradicate it completely, so, until that time, people will suffer. All these are the main reason why people fear Karkidakam and Calling Karkidakam as Panja Masam.
Later to overcome difficulties in Karkidakam and to keep the immune system properly working people have come up with remedies, they are :
- Medicated Karkidaka Kanji
- Collecting Mango seeds, make dry, make powder and they will keep for the season, then they will eat with jaggery.
- Keeping Jackfruit seeds for Karkidakam, they will make it dry and will rap with mud so that it can be saved for a long time
- Kuva tuber also used for the similar.
In earlier times Karkidakam ass the time when the availability of rice items are limited. Even if rice is available due to downpour unable to process it into powders forms because sunlight was the prime source to dry rice then. After finishing the rainy season they will clean the surroundings and apply cow dung, then they will go for the fumigation for disinfection. People used to read Ramayana for mental strength during Karkidakam. In olden times people of Kerala Welcomed Karkidakam with great celebration, it is believed that welcoming Karkidakam with celebrations reduces difficulties and health issues for the coming month.
Health is everything. To keep our immune system active during Karkidakam was very much difficult in earlier days. People have adopted different techniques to survive the month of Karkidakam, few of those techniques were mentioned above.
Ayurveda has very much importance during Karkidakam as Ayurveda has developed, its own way to increase immunity in Karkidakam. In Ayurveda, karkidakam is a time when people having less Bala, Ojas, and prakopa of Vata dosha, Ayurveda gives great importance to health and we have everything in to heal all diseases that may occur during Karkidaka. Ayurveda do exactly what our ancient Ayurveda gurus teach as
” swasthya rakshanam
athurasya vikara prashamanam”
Ayurveda has everything in it to overcome health issues during Karkidakam by improving the immune system. if we don’t follow the proper regimen then it will lead to the health issues, for overcoming this issue Ayurveda can play a major role. Ayurvedic treatments like Choorna Pinda Swedam, Gambeera Pinda Swedam, Patra Pinda Swedam, abhyanga, Vasthi, Shodhanam, Samanam, Rasayanam, Vajikarana, Bhuhmanam, Snehanam, Shashtikashali Pinda Swedam, Valuka Swedam, etc will help to regain the Bala, Ojas. It also purifies our body, Srothas, etc. Ayurvedic treatment having more potential to clear the problems and regain health in the month of Karkidakam.
