In the annals of the history of the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), the pre-eminence of Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakal, and Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore, is widely accepted. During a recent visit to Kottakal, I realised that an ayurvedic institution defines a philosophy of life, a distinct system of social thinking and, above all,"cultural fulfilment".