Unique coexistence of science and spirituality at BHU

Unique coexistence of Science and Spirituality at Asia's largest residential university, BHU is being presently explored through roving lens-eye of an Italian film crew from Rome.

Unique coexistence of Science and Spirituality at Asia's largest residential university, BHU is being presently explored through roving lens-eye of an Italian film crew from Rome.

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An Italian film crew from Rome led by female producer Cristina Rajola and Mexican origin Director Jesus Garces Lambert on Thursday filmed entire process of making wonder drug, Rasa Sindoor, from hazardous mercury and gandhak at Department of Rasa Shatra (Ayurvedic Pharmacology) in Faculty of Ayurveda, IMS-BHU.

The team also captured within their camera, the crucial sound-bytes of Dept Head Dr Neeraj Kumar and Associate Professor Dr Anand Chaudhary, about the Alchemy in Ayurveda purely for streamlining metabolic system of human body.

The Italian film crew, also comprising Director of Photography Jovica Nonkovic and his assistant Demis Alberti, is on a trip to India to shoot a full 52-minute episode for highly popular scientific-cultural series Voyager, which has formed the mainstay of prime time of Italian National Channel RAI last seven years.

Besides shooting at the Dept of Rasa Shastra entire process of making metallic medical preparations, the team has also visited the Ayurvedic Block of BHU Hospital as also the Museum of Ayurvedic Formulations at the Rasa Shastra Dept.

At the BHU Hospital's Ayurvedic Block, the crew filmed very unique Panchkarma and Leech Therapy being administered by Ayurveda experts to patients of diverse ailments.

The team will be at the Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya and Dharma Vigyan, where they would film narratives of Faculty Dean Prof RC Panda, on varied aspects of spirituality, including Yoga, Tantra Shastra as also Kundalini Jagaran.

The documentary, which is likely to be telecast in October on Italian national television channel will also see the Italian crew (whose director has worked with BBC in the past) travel to Ambaji Temple in Ahmedabad to meet septugenerian Yogi who has reportedly not consumed food for over seven decades.

Dept of Rasa Shatra Head Dr Neeraj Kumar told HT that the film crew while filming the documentary shot entire procedure of how hazardous mercury and gandhak were purified with garlic/sendha namak and milk/ghee to attain bottled Ayurvedic formulation Rasa Sindoor, which rejuvenates the power of other Ayurvedic medicines, particularly anti-geriatric and anti-hyper tension medications.

"We're not here only to film how Alchemy is pursued in Ayurveda even in modern India, but also depict how Science and Spirituality coexist in synergy, whose best model is at BHU which houses Ayurveda and Sanskrit Vidya Dharma and Vigyan division side by side," documentary producer Cristina Rajola said.

Voyager is a very popular prime time documentary series on Italian National TV channel, which sees the film crew travel across the globe to explore harmonious coexistence of science with ancient practices/culture and religion.

Before coming to India, the Italian film crew hailing from Videostar Broadcasting and Multimedia production house in Rome, traveled to Egypt and after completing their India project leave for shooting next episode in China.