Global Ayurveda Festival and Arogya Expo to be held in Kozhikode in January 2016

The third edition of the Global Ayurveda Festival and Arogya Expo, where close to 5000 delegates from 50 countries are expected to participate, will be held in Kozhikode from January 29 to February 2, 2016.

Practitioners and students, manufacturers, hospitals, government and non-government agencies working in the sector will partner in this mega event, the largest biennial get-together of the Ayurveda fraternity in the state to be held for the first time in Kozhikode, a GAF release said.

The GAF-2016 is organised by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) in association with the Government of Kerala, native Ayurveda fraternity and the department of AYUSH, Government of India.

State Department of AYUSH, Department of Tourism and the Department of Industry are also partnering with GAF in a big way.

GAF is positioned as the destination festival on Ayurveda in Kerala to bridge the great native medicinal tradition with the global community.

Both the previous conferences, organised at Thiruvanathapuram in 2012 and in Kochi in 2014 have grown into an internationally recognised event on Ayurveda with the delegates' participation showing consistent growth from 1,800 in 2012 to more than 4,000 participants in 2014, the release said.

Transactions during GAF-2016 include an International Seminar on the theme 'Women's Health', a mega exhibition of 500 stalls in which ayurveda hospitals, drug manufacturing industry and government and non-government agencies showcasing their services and products.

As a prelude to GAF 2016, a fortnight long 'Grand Kerala Ayurveda Fair' will be held in 14 districts of the state on 14 days during January 15 to 28, ensuring participation of local ayurveda institutions.

A number of organisations from the US, Germany, Italy, UK, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina and Russia are expected to participate in GAF 2016, the release said.