During the long period of British rule, we did not only lose its prosperity, but we lost our self-respect as well. We have forgotten our culture, values, achievements and our pride. India’s ancient medical science, Ayurveda, also became a victim. In such circumstances, those people would be appreciated who not only preserved the existence of Ayurveda, but also shared this ancient and authentic medical knowledge of India globally.
Hakim Hasrat Ali, a resident of Bazpur city of Uttarakhand state of India, has been at the forefront in spreading the knowledge regarding Ayurveda. Hei has made his special identity at the national and international level by treating hundreds of incurable diseases through Ayurveda. In fact, he inherited this skill of Ayurveda from his grandfather. But the journey to reach here was not easy. There was a time when he had to work in a car garage to finance his studies in the fifth grade. The financial condition of his house was not very good, the situation was such that money could not be collected even to pay the school fees.
One day when he asked his father for the school fees, the father got angry and slapped him. Hakim Hasrat Ali, who was studying in fifth class, decided that he is going to make it on his own. He got a small job in a car garage. Here he worked hard with honesty and dedication. After a few years of working, he became proficient in this work. At that time it was the era of bullet motorcycles and at that time good mechanics of motorcycles were not available. He learned motorcycle work from one of his acquaintances and after learning the work opened a workshop of his own by collecting some money. The work turned out to be successful.
The discussions of his honesty and hard work started spreading in the surrounding areas and he was earning well. But one day a sudden fire broke out in his shop, due to which lakhs of rupees were lost. He was in loss and debt. People filed dozens of cases against him. To save his honor, he borrowed money from the bank and cleared his debt to the people. At this time, his grandfather Musak Hussain, was a famous doctor and used to do free treatment with Unani medicines. He insisted and got him a course in Ayurveda. He also taught him the work of Ayurveda under his guidance. Hakim Hasrat Ali used to work in the workshop in the morning and used to help his grandfather in the night.
One day his grandfather called him to his room. In his last moments, he made Hasrat Ali promise him that after his departure he will run the dispensary as his legacy and will not let this science of Ayurveda die. Thereafter, he started to treat patients sitting in his Grandfather’s room. Today, along with treating lakhs of poor people, he is working with well-known Ayurvedic company Baidyanath. He says, “Most of the people who come to me for treatment have already been to the hospital. They come to me only when the treatment does not work for them. When they like my treatment, they refer it to their acquaintances.”
Along with Ayurveda, he is also very interested in religious Puranas. He did many researches in chemistry by reading ancient Puranas, for which he has also been honored internationally. He clearly says that there is a solution to every problem in Ayurveda. We have to increase the research work on our Puranas and Vidha so that cheap treatments can be made available to the public. He has patents for many of his medicines. He spends a large part of his income to pay school fees of poor children, to marry poor girls and to help widowed women. He has set an example as to how persistence and dedication can lead to nothing but success. Hakim Hasrat Ali is a source of inspiration for all people.