11th Ayurveda Day on 23 September: Theme, Facts and Schemes

India will observe the 11th Ayurveda Day on 23 September 2026. On 22 September the Press Information Bureau released a backgrounder on how the Government is bringing Ayurveda into mainstream healthcare, research and global health diplomacy. This year's theme is "Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow".

Why 23 September

The Government now marks Ayurveda Day every year on 23 September, around the autumnal equinox, when day and night are nearly equal, to reflect the idea of natural balance. Earlier the day was observed on Dhanteras (Dhanvantari Jayanti), whose date changes each year; Lord Dhanvantari is regarded as the god of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda in brief

• The word comes from Ayu (life) and Veda (science or knowledge). Its roots are traced to the Rigveda, and it is described as more than 5,000 years old.
• Its classical texts include the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita.
• Health is seen as a balance of the doshas (bio-energies), agni (metabolic fire), dhatus (tissues) and malas (wastes), together with mind, senses and soul.

Ayurveda in public healthcare

• Through the National Ayush Mission (NAM), the Centre released over ₹6,406.99 crore to States and UTs between FY 2014–15 and FY 2025–26.
• 12,260 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Ayush) were functional as on 19 September 2026, against a target of 12,500.
• Under the National Health Mission, Ayush services are available in 13,249 public health facilities.
• The free telemedicine service eSanjeevani, which has served over 50 crore patients, also offers Ayush OPD consultations.
• In 2024 IRDAI required insurers to offer cover for all systems of medicine, including Ayurveda. On 10 February 2026 the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, was empanelled with all 32 general insurance companies for cashless treatment.

Education and research

• As on 13 March 2026 there were 593 Ayurveda colleges, with 45,245 undergraduate and 5,673 postgraduate seats.
• The AYURGYAN scheme, launched in 2021-22, funds Ayush research.
• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), one of five autonomous research bodies under the Ministry of Ayush, works through 30 institutes. In March 2026 it partnered with AICTE's Anuvadini AI to translate its research into 13 Indian languages.

On the world stage

• Ayurveda terms are now part of the WHO's ICD-11 module, so doctors worldwide can record Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani diagnoses with standard codes.
• In December 2025 New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam hosted the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, which adopted the Delhi Declaration.
• The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre is in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
• Foreign patients can use the Ayush visa: M-3 for patients and M-4 for their attendants.

Budget 2026-27

The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹4,408 crore to the Ministry of Ayush and announced three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, upgraded Ayush pharmacies and drug-testing laboratories, and an upgrade of the WHO centre at Jamnagar.