Kaya Kalpa methods adopted by Siddars: a scientific approach

Thirumular says in his "THIRUMANTHIRAM" the body is a sacred instrument to contain the soul and therefore must be nurtured well to safeguard the life. Thirumular is reported to have lived a long span of three thousand years according to tradition. The art of longevity and the attempts of immortalising the corporeal human body were the ultimate aims of Siddhars as understood from their numerous treatises on the art of rejuvenation - Thirumular Karpam - 300, Bohar Karpam - 300, Thiruvalluvur Karpam - 300 Yugimuni Karpam - 300 etc. which form some of the excellence works in this regard. One of the means to rejuvenate the body was achieved through the art of breathing (Pranayama) which has a direct bearing on the basal metabolic rate and the span of longevity. In this paper an attempt has been made to throw some light on the scientific basis of the various Kaya Kalpa methods adopted by Siddhars.