Even as the Union Ministry of Ayush prepares for Siddha Day celebrations on January 6, 2026, to promote Siddha medicine — an ancient healing system rooted in Tamil culture and tradition — its social media outreach has faced a backlash from the Siddha medical community.
Also read: TN govt plans to start Siddha fertility clinic, doctors question efficacy
Several promotional posts circulated ahead of the event have been flagged for containing dubious information, claims and references to Siddhars, who, according to experts, have no basis in recognised Siddha texts.
NIS’ posts face criticism
A review of social media posts shared by the Chennai-based National Institute of Siddha (NIS), an autonomous body under the Ayush ministry, shows multiple instances where unverified information appeared to have been published without any scholarly validation. Some posts feature images of supposed Siddhars who are not acknowledged either in classical Siddha literature or academic curricula.
In one instance, a post introduces a “rare” female Siddhar named Oorvasi, claiming that she occupies a distinct place in Tamil Siddha history and that her contributions span medicine, alchemy, spiritual discipline and ethical conduct. The claim has drawn widespread criticism from both traditional practitioners and professionally trained Siddha doctors.
When The Federal spoke to the experts to verify the existence of Siddhar Oorvasi, several confirmed that there is no known reference to such a Siddhar in the recognised Siddha literature. Renowned Siddha physician G Sivaraman, a former member of the National Siddha Pharmacopoeia Committee under the Ayush ministry, said the name was unfamiliar to him.
Also read: Watch | Modernised device to prepare siddha medicine gets patent
“I have never come across a Siddhar by that name. There is a text called Oorvasi Vaithiya Chitkabut we have no clear data on the existence of a Siddhar named Oorvasi,” he told The Federal.
An examination of the book cited by Sivaraman reveals that Oorvasi Vaithiya Chitka is a compilation authored by a traditional Siddha practitioner, Sirumanavur Munusamy, in 1936. The text documents herbal formulations and medicinal practices prevalent in the early 19th century and does not claim authorship by, or reference to, a Siddhar named Oorvasi.
Echoing similar concerns, Siddha doctor Selva Shanmugam said the alleged Siddhar has no place in either academic or traditional sources. “There is no mention of Siddhar Oorvasi in any of the textbooks prescribed in Siddha Medical College syllabi or in classical manuscripts. We haven’t seen any reference so far,” he said.
Seventy-six-year-old traditional Siddha practitioner S Ramu in Kanyakumari said that these posts would add doubts among the young generation about whether to believe in the traditional medicine system.
Also read: DMK cries foul as BJP seeks to project Sage Agathiyar as Hindu icon
“Many would relate the name Oorvasi to the celestial nymph mentioned in mythology who was sent by Lord Indra to seduce rishis. If these doubtful posts are posted by reputed institutes, that would only increase confusion. It’s appalling that the Ayush ministry is allowing fake news posts, instead of giving verified, scientific data,’’ he told The Federal.
Question marks over Siddhar Avvaiyar
In another post, Avvaiyar, the revered Tamil poet known for her literary works, has been described as a Siddhar, a classification that Siddha scholars say is historically incorrect. And that too, there are several theories that Avvaiyar is not one person and the title Avvaiyar was given to 13 poets over a period of time. So far, the Tamil literary world has not concluded the debates on one single person named Avvaiyar.
Also read: India’s ‘1:811’ doctor-population ratio: Why are AYUSH practitioners counted?
Sources familiar with the promotional campaign told The Federal that the Siddha Day promotions began nearly 50 days ago, and the staff members were instructed to aggressively boost online visibility. This, they said, may have led to the use of AI tools and automated content generation without adequate verification or expert oversight.
The Federal has reached out to the Ayush ministry via email seeking clarification on the questionable posts. At the time of publication, no response had been received. The story will be updated if the ministry responds.
Comments are closed.