The Rich History of Healing in Sri Lanka: From Ancient Kings to Modern Times

 

Sri Lanka’s healing traditions, spanning over two millennia, weave together indigenous practices, Ayurveda, and modern medicine, creating a unique healthcare legacy. From the benevolence of ancient kings to contemporary innovations, this history reflects the island’s commitment to holistic well-being.

Ancient Beginnings: Healing Under the Kings and the Mihintale Hospital

During the Anuradhapura (377 BCE–1017 CE) and Polonnaruwa (1017–1236 CE) kingdoms, Sri Lankan healing flourished under royal patronage, guided by Buddhist principles of compassion. A landmark achievement was the establishment of the world’s first excavated general hospital at Mihintale, near Anuradhapura, dating to the 9th century CE. Discovered through archaeological excavations, this Arogyashala featured advanced facilities, including patient wards, medicinal stone troughs for immersive treatments, and evidence of surgical tools. The hospital catered to monks and laypeople, offering herbal remedies and Ayurvedic therapies. This pioneering institution underscores Sri Lanka’s early medical sophistication. Indigenous medicine, or Deshiya Chikitsa, relied on herbal concoctions, spiritual rituals, and generational knowledge, while Ayurveda, introduced via trade with India, became central. Kings like Buddhadasa (337–365 CE), a physician himself, authored medical treatises, and rulers funded free healthcare, ensuring widespread access.

Medieval and Colonial Shifts

In the Kandyan Kingdom (1476–1815), healing retained its Ayurvedic and indigenous roots, enriched by Arab and European influences. Traditional healers (Vedas) used astrology, exorcisms, and herbs in rural areas. Colonial powers—Portuguese, Dutch, and British (1505–1948)—introduced Western medicine, including missionary hospitals and smallpox vaccinations, but suppressed local practices, causing a decline in indigenous medicine. Kandyan kings preserved Ayurveda, maintaining royal physicians and herbal gardens.

Modern Revival and Integration

After independence in 1948, Sri Lanka revitalized traditional healing. The Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurveda Research Institute, founded in 1961, formalized Ayurveda’s role. Today, the healthcare system integrates Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Western medicine. Ayurvedic hospitals, wellness retreats, and training institutes thrive, attracting global tourists for treatments like Panchakarma and herbal steam baths. Rural healers continue traditional practices, while a robust public healthcare system provides free Western care, contributing to a life expectancy of 77 years and low infant mortality.

A Lasting Legacy

From the groundbreaking Mihintale hospital to modern integrative healthcare, Sri Lanka’s healing journey reflects resilience and adaptation. By blending ancient wisdom with contemporary advances, the island remains a global model for holistic health.

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New findings of James Web Telescope

 

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been delivering groundbreaking discoveries since its launch in December 2021, reshaping our understanding of the universe. Here’s a concise overview of some of the most astounding recent findings as of May 2025, based on available information:

1. Earliest and Most Distant Galaxies:
   • JWST has identified galaxies dating back to just 200–300 million years after the Big Bang, pushing the boundaries of cosmic history. For instance, the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) confirmed galaxies like JADES-GS-z14-0, seen 290 million years post-Big Bang, with a redshift of 14.32, making it the most distant known galaxy. These findings challenge models of early galaxy formation, as these galaxies appear larger and brighter than expected.
2. First Star Clusters and "Firefly Sparkle" Galaxy:
   • Webb detected gravitationally bound star clusters in a galaxy only 460 million years old, the earliest such clusters observed. The "Firefly Sparkle" galaxy, seen 600 million years after the Big Bang, is a lightweight, actively forming system akin to the young Milky Way, offering clues to galaxy assembly.
3. Unexpected Chemical Signatures:
   • Early galaxies show unusual chemical compositions, with high nitrogen levels and lower amounts of other metals, suggesting unknown processes in the early universe. Additionally, JWST found complex organic molecules (e.g., ethanol, acetic acid) in ice around protostars, indicating that life’s building blocks were present early in cosmic history.
4. **Massive Black Holes andArizona (Arizona state) for each other in a dangerous dance of near-collisions, slowly warping and stretching the stars between them.
5. Galactic Revelations:
   • In May 2024, JWST detected the farthest known black hole merger in the galaxy system ZS7, occurring 740 million years after the Big Bang, suggesting rapid black hole growth through mergers. An "extremely red" supermassive black hole, 40 million times the sun’s mass, was found growing rapidly in the early universe, challenging theories of black hole formation.
6. Exoplanet Atmospheres and Potential Biosignatures:
   • JWST has characterized exoplanet atmospheres with unprecedented detail. For example, it detected methane, carbon dioxide, and dimethyl sulfide on K2-18 b, a potential "Hycean world" with a possible water ocean, hinting at conditions for life. It also confirmed the atmosphere of LHS 475 b, an Earth-sized exoplanet 41 light-years away.
7. Stellar and Nebular Insights:
   • Webb’s infrared capabilities revealed new details in star-forming regions like the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex and the Serpens Nebula, showing jets from young stars and glowing dust. It also captured the dying star in NGC 1514, revealing infrared-only rings, and revisited a star swallowing a planet, refining our understanding of such events.
8. Cosmic Mysteries and Tensions:
   • JWST’s observations of unexpectedly bright early galaxies and "little red dots" (compact, red sources with unclear origins) suggest rapid galaxy formation and unknown phenomena, challenging cosmological models. Its confirmation of Hubble’s cosmic distance ladder measurements has deepened the "Hubble tension," a discrepancy in the universe’s expansion rate.
9. Solar System Discoveries:
   • Within our solar system, JWST observed auroral activity on Neptune, a high-speed jet stream on Jupiter, and surface ice methanol on trans-Neptunian objects, providing insights into their composition and potential for organic chemistry.
10. Unexpected Phenomena:
    • Webb spotted a galaxy, JADES-GS-z13-1, emitting "impossible" light 330 million years post-Big Bang, suggesting unusual stellar populations or other exotic processes. It also detected tellurium in a neutron star merger, reshaping our understanding of heavy element formation