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:10.5281/zenodo.23492632

DOI

INTERNATIONAL

JOURNAL

OF

DIAGNOSTICS

AND

RESEARCH

Importance of Panchakarma in Karkada Masa: A Simple Review of Seasonal Cleansing and

Rejuvenation in Ayurveda

Dr Smitha

1

, Dr Manoj C John

2

1

Principal Nootan Ayurvedic College And Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat

2

Assistant Professor, Nootan Ayurvedic College And Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar,

Gujarat

Abstract

Karkada

Masa

,

also

called

Karkidaka

in

Kerala,

is

the

last

month

of

the

Malayalam

calendar

and

usually

falls

between mid

-

July and mid

-

August. In Kerala, this month is strongly connected with monsoon rain, weak digestion,

low

body

strength,

and

higher

chance

of

illness.

Ayurveda

explains

that

during

this

season,

the

digestive

fire

weakens, the doshas become disturbed, and the body becomes more vulnerable to disease. Because of this, seasonal

care becomes very important. One of the most respected approaches during this period is

P

anchakarma

, a supervised

Ayurvedic

cleansing

and

restorative

therapy.

In

Kerala

practice,

however,

Karkidaka

care

is

not

limited

to

Panchakarma

alone. It also includes regulated food, herbal preparations, medicated gruels such as

Karkidaka kanji

,

oil thera

pies, rest, and disciplined lifestyle practices. This paper explains why

Panchakarma

is considered important

in

Karkada

Masa

,

especially

from

the

Ayurvedic

view

of

seasonal

adaptation.

It

also

reviews

modern

studies

suggesting possible benefits, while noti

ng that strong clinical evidence specific to

Karkada Masa

remains limited.

Overall,

Panchakarma

remains

important

in

this

season

because

it

is

seen

as

a

way

to

support

digestion,

clear

accumulated

waste,

restore

balance,

and

prepare

the

body

for

better

hea

lth

when

done

properly

under

qualified

supervision.

Keywords:

Karkada Masa, Karkidaka, Panchakarma, Ayurveda,

monsoon rejuvenation, seasonal regimen

,

Kerala, Varsha Ritu

Article Info:

Article Received on : 02/10/2026

Article Reviewed on: 10/010/2026

Article Published on : 15/10/2026

Corresponding Author:

Dr.Smitha

ORCID ID:

0009

-

0003

-

0500

-

2830

3

Cite this article as: -

Shetty S, Manoj J. Importance of Panchakarma in Karkada Masa: A Simple Review of Seasonal Cleansing

and

Rejuvenation

in

Ayurveda.

International

Journal

of

Diagnostics

And

Research.

2026Oct20;4(1):188

–

93.

doi:10.5281/zenodo.23492632

Issue : 01

INTERNATIONAL

JOURNAL

OF

DIAGNOSTICS

AND

RESEARCH

Volume : 04

Copyright @ : - Dr.Smitha Inter. J.Digno. and Research IJDRMSID0158

|

ISSN :2584-2757

188

Introduction :

Ayurveda

gives

great

importance

to

living

according

to

the

seasons.

This

idea

is

called

Ritucharya,

which

means

changing

food,

habits,

and

treatment

methods

according

to

climate

and

seasonal

change

[1]

.

Karkada

Masa

is

especially

important

in

Kerala

because

it

falls

during

the

heavy

monsoon,

when

the

body

is

thought

to

be

weaker and more likely to fall ill. For this reason,

Karkidaka has traditionally been treated as a month

of

caution,

repair,

and

rejuvenation

rather

than

celebration and heavy living.

Panchakarma is widely known as Ayurveda's major

cleansing system. It is not a simple spa procedure

or

a

home

detox

method.

It

is

a

physician-guided

therapeutic

process

that

may

include

preparatory

measures,

selected

cleansing

procedures,

diet

regulation,

rest,

and

follow-up

care

[2]

.

In

Kerala,

Panchakarma

becomes

especially

meaningful

during

Karkada

Masa

because

this

season

is

believed

to

be

ideal

for

internal

cleansing

and

recovery.

At

the

same

time,

a

balanced

academic

discussion

is

necessary,

because

traditional

importance

and

modern

scientific

proof

are

not

always the same thing.

Seasonal Background

Karkidakacharya

refers

to

the

seasonal

practices

followed

during

Karkidaka,

the

last

month

of

the

Malayalam

calendar.

A

study

from

the

Indian

Journal

of

Traditional

Knowledge

describes

this

month

as

a

time

of

torrential

rain,

low

digestive

fire,

low

immunity,

and

greater

vulnerability

to

disease

and

even

epidemics

[3]

.

The

same

study

recorded around 22 traditional practices connected

with food, medicine, and religious observance

during this month. This shows that Karkidaka care

is not a single treatment but a whole seasonal health

culture.

Ayurvedic

seasonal

reviews

also

explain

that

during

the

rainy

season,

digestion

weakens,

Vata

tends

to

increase,

and

contaminated

water,

dampness, and improper food can increase disease

risk.

Monsoon-related

complaints

may

include

indigestion,

diarrhea,

abdominal

discomfort,

joint

pain,

tiredness,

respiratory

problems,

skin

problems, and general weakness. Because the body

is

less

stable

during

this

season,

preventive

care

becomes important.

A useful

explanation

of the Ritucharya

chapter

of

Ashtanga Hridaya says that after proper cleansing,

rainy

season

care

emphasizes

light

and

digestible

food, boiled water, protection from dampness, and

in

selected

cases

asthapanabasti

(decoction

enema

therapy).

[4]

This

supports

the

traditional

view

that

the monsoon is not a time to overload the body, but

a time for careful correction and support.

Why Panchakarma Is Considered Important In

Karkada Masa

The

main

reason

Panchakarma

is

considered

important

in

Karkada

Masa

is

that

Ayurveda

sees

this

season

as

a

time

of

internal

imbalance.

The

digestive fire is weak, waste may accumulate, and

the

body’s

natural

strength

is

reduced.

A

2016

article

on

Karkidaka

treatment

explains

that

environmental

change

in

monsoon

can

reduce

digestive

capacity

and

increase

the

formation

of

ama

(poorly

processed

metabolic

waste

in

Ayurvedic

language).

This

makes

people

more

vulnerable to fever, diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal

discomfort, and water-borne disease. In that setting,

Issue : 1

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supervised

shodhana

or

cleansing

is

considered

beneficial

[5]

.

Another

reason

is

that

Karkidaka

chikitsa

is

traditionally seen as a period of better receptivity to

treatment. The same source states that this season

may favor better absorption of medicines and food,

which

is

one

reason

why

purification

and

rejuvenation therapies are often planned during this

time.

A

2024

review

paper

on

monsoon

rejuvenation

also

says

that

the

cool

and

humid

monsoon

climate

is

considered

favorable

for

Ayurvedic

therapy,

and

that

Karkidaka

chikitsa

aims to detoxify the body, improve immunity, and

restore dosha balance.

In

Kerala

tradition,

the

“importance

of

Panchakarma” during Karkada Masa does not mean

every

person

must

undergo

all

five

procedures.

Rather,

it

means

this

season

is

valued

for

careful

seasonal

purification

and

restoration,

chosen

according

to

age,

strength,

disease

condition,

digestion, and the physician's judgment. In practice,

Karkidaka

care

may

include

a

full

Panchakarma

course

for

some,

a

lighter

treatment

package

for

others, and diet-and-lifestyle correction for many.

Common

Treatment

Approach

During

This

Season

Among

Panchakarma

procedures,

Basti

often

gets

special

importance

in

the

rainy

season.

Seasonal

Ayurvedic

guidance

links

Varsha

Ritu

with

aggravated Vata, and Basti is traditionally regarded

as

an

important

therapy

for

Vata

correction.

The

2024

review

on

Karkidaka

chikitsa

states

that

in

rainy

season,

Basti

is

emphasized

after

proper

purification.

The

secondary

explanation

in

Ashtanga Hridaya also notes that, after cleansing,

asthapanabasti is advised in rainy-season care.

[6]

Before

or

around

the

main

cleansing

procedures,

practitioners

often

use

supportive

methods.

These

may

include

abhyanga

(applying

medicated

oil

to

the body), swedana (sudation or sweating therapy),

rest, a light diet, warm liquids, and close physician

observation. These methods help prepare the body,

improve comfort, and support the overall treatment

process.

[7]

However,

they

should

not

be

confused

with the main Panchakarma procedures themselves.

Supportive

external

therapy

used

around

Panchakarma care

Supportive

external

therapy

used

around

Panchakarma care, such as oil-based body work or

therapeutic

massage,

is

often

used

before

main

cleansing

procedures

under

supervision.

Image

source: Wikimedia Commons.

Karkidaka

care

also

includes

food

discipline.

Traditional

and

review

sources

repeatedly

stress

light,

warm,

digestible

food,

boiled

water,

and

avoidance

of

dampness

and

heavy

eating.

In

Kerala,

medicated

gruels

such

as

Karkidaka

kanji

are

part

of

the

larger

health

approach

during

this

month. This is one more reason why Karkada Masa

should

be

seen

as

a

complete

seasonal

regimen,

with

Panchakarma

as

one

important

component

inside a larger system of care.

Modern Evidence And Present Relevance

Modern

research

on

Panchakarma

is

still

developing,

but

some

studies

give

useful

insights.

A

small

observational

study

by

Conboy

and

colleagues looked at a 5-day Panchakarma retreat.

The study did not find a significant improvement in

overall quality of life, but it did report

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improvements

in

self-efficacy,

positive

health

behaviors,

social

support,

and

depression-related

outcomes over follow-up. This means Panchakarma

may

support

behavioral

and

emotional

health

in

some

settings,

but

the

results

should

be

read

carefully

because

the

study

was

small

and

observational

[9]

.

A

later

study

in

Scientific

Reports

examined

a

6-

day Panchakarma-based Ayurvedic intervention in

healthy participants and found measurable changes

in

blood

metabolites.

The

authors

reported

significant

shifts

in

several

metabolite

groups,

especially

lipids,

after

the

intervention.

However,

the

researchers

themselves

clearly

stated

that

the

findings were hypothesis-generating. The program

included

many

components

such

as

diet,

herbs,

yoga, massage, and heat therapy, so it is difficult to

say which part caused the changes. The study was

also short in duration.

[9]

Taken

together,

these

modern

studies

do

not

“prove”

every

traditional

claim

about

Karkada

Masa

and

Panchakarma.

Still,

they

suggest

that

Panchakarma deserves serious study as a structured

health

intervention

rather

than

being

dismissed

as

folklore.

In

today’s

context,

where

many

people

face

digestive

disturbance,

stress,

poor

sleep,

irregular

food

habits,

and

seasonal

illness,

the

Ayurvedic

idea

of

slowing

down

during

monsoon

and

giving

the

body

planned

care

remains

Meaningful. Source

Safety And Responsible Use

The importance of Panchakarma in Karkada Masa

should always be understood together with safety.

Panchakarma

is

not

the

same

for

everyone.

The

choice of procedure depends on the person’s age,

strength, digestion, disease condition, and ability to

tolerate

treatment.

It

should

be

done

only

under

trained

Ayurvedic

supervision.

This

is

especially

important

in

older

adults,

children,

pregnant

women, and people with severe chronic illness

or

poor physical strength.

Physical

and

preparatory

therapies

in

Ayurvedic

care

Figure

2.

Ayurvedic

treatment

settings

commonly

integrate

physical

and

preparatory

therapies,

but

qualified

practitioners

should

select

the

main

Panchakarma

procedures.

Image

source:

Wikimedia Commons.

Conclusion :

Panchakarma

is

considered

important

in

Karkada

Masa because this month is traditionally understood

as

a

difficult

seasonal

period

marked

by

weak

digestion,

low

strength,

dampness,

and

higher

disease

risk.

Ayurveda

addresses

this

seasonal

challenge

through

a

broader

system

called

Karkidaka

chikitsa,

which

includes

dietary

regulation,

herbal

support, rest,

external

therapies,

and

selected

purification

procedures.

Within

this

broader system, Panchakarma holds a special place

because it is believed to

clear accumulated waste,

restore balance, and prepare the body for recovery

and

better

function.

Among

the

main

procedures,

Basti receives special attention in rainy-season care

because it helps manage Vata.

At

the

same

time,

a

careful

academic

conclusion

must

note

that

modern

evidence

remains

limited

and

that

more

high-quality

studies

are

needed,

especially

those

focused

specifically

on

Karkada

Masa.

Even

so,

both

traditional

literature

and

emerging modern research suggest that well-

Issue : 1

INTERNATIONAL

JOURNAL

OF

DIAGNOSTICS

AND

RESEARCH [ISSN No.: 2584-2757]

Volume : 4

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ISSN :2584-2757

191

planned

seasonal

care

during

monsoon

can

be

meaningful.

Therefore,

Panchakarma's

importance

in Karkada Masa lies not only in cleansing, but also

in

the

broader

Ayurvedic

goals

of

prevention,

adaptation, and health restoration.

Declaration :

Conflict of Interest :

None

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Issue : 1

INTERNATIONAL

JOURNAL

OF

DIAGNOSTICS

AND

RESEARCH [ISSN No.: 2584-2757]

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ISSN :2584-2757

192

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Inter. J.Digno. and Research

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