Siddha system is
one of the oldest systems of medicine in
India
. The term Siddha means achievements and Siddhars were saintly persons who
achieved results in medicine. Eighteen Siddhars were said to have
contributed towards the development of this medical system. Siddha
literature is in Tamil and
it is practised largely in Tamil speaking part of
India
and abroad. The Siddha System is largely therapeutic in nature.
The
original Home allotted to mankind by the Creator was in the temparate
and fertile region of the East and pointedly in India. It is from
here that the human race began its culture and career. India may,
therefore, be safely stated as that the first country from which human
culture and civilization originated and spread. According to
Indian history prior to Aryans migration, the Dravidian was the first
inhabitant of India of whom the Tamilians were the most
prominent. The Tamilians were not only the earliest civilized but
also those who may more considerable progress in civilization than any
other early people. The languages of India were divided into two
great classes, the northern with Sanskrit as the pre-pondering element
and the southern with Dravidian language as independent bases.
The science of medicine is of fundamental importance to man’s well
being be and his survival and so it must have originated with man and
developed as civilization. It is, therefore rather pointless to
try to determine the exact point of time to which the beginning of
these systems could be traced They are eternal, they began with
man and may end with him. The Siddha was flouriest in south and
Ayurveda prevalent in the north. Instead of giving the name of
any of individual as the founder of these systems our ancestors
attributed their origin to the creator. According to the
tradition it was Shiva who unfolded the knowledge of Siddha system of
medicine to his concert Parvati who handed it down to Nandi Deva and he
the
Siddhars. The Siddhars were great scientists in ancient
times.