Kumaragara (कुमारागार)

Kumaragara refers to the infant care room specially designed to take care of a newborn child and mother. The design of this room has been discussed in depth by Ayurveda scholars. The special room for newborn is intended for isolation, protection and monitoring of the growth & development of the child.

Introduction

Newborn children, infants, toddlers were taken care of with lot of care and affection in ancient times. Their physiological needs, vulnerability to environmental harmful factors, health status and wellbeing parameters were well-known to the ancient scholars and they had given a complete guide to fulfill all these necessary things in detail. Therefore Ayurveda has proposed isolation of newborn baby with mother in a separate room where arrangements can be made as per the special health needs of a baby. In this way the baby and mother can be protected from known and unknown harmful factors and gradually the baby can become capable of surviving in the outside environment. Birth of the baby occurs in Sutikagara. The child with mother remains in Sutikagara upto one and the half month post delivery and then the child enter Kumaragara specifically designed to cater the newborn child's needs.

Nishkramana samskara refers to one of the rites of passages of the baby in childhood. This ceremony of samskara is performed in the 4th month post delivery. It is a samskara performed to mark the first exposure of the bay to the outside world. It is at this time when the newborn child is taken out of the house and taken to some other place (to the temple) for the first time in child's life. Till this period the child stays in Kumaragara with the mother.

In todays time we see that neonatal intensive units, special care neonatal units pediatric clinics and pediatric wards are designed in a specific manner and attractive way to make it acceptable by the child and fulfill the child's needs. Thus Kumaragara is an ancient time concept described in Ayurveda for infant care and it can be seen practiced even today in a modified way on the basis of similar logic.

Etymology

The term Kumaragara can be split into 2 parts, Kumara and Agara.

Kumara- The child

Agara- house or the dwelling place.

Thus Kumaragara refers to the house of a child.

कुमारागारविधि Structure and arrangements in the Kumaragara

The details of building and designing Kumaragara can be found in Ayurveda texts. The details are as follows,

• Who should build it?- Vastuvidyakushala (architect) should build the Kumaragara. Thus a specialist in the field of architecture who is conversant with science of building should construct a dwelling place for a child.
• Measurements and built- It should be specious. A congested or small room is not recommended. Measurements may vary but it should be a rigid & firm structure.
• Specifications- It should be pleasant, well lit, well ventilated but non airy. The doors and windows should be designed in such a way that the air coming into the room should come in direct contect with the child.
• Cautions- The place should be properly disinfected and made insects or pests free. Any wild animal, dogs, insect, serpent, mice and flies should not get entry into it and the design should be made taking this into consideration.
• Facilities- It should have all the necessary facilities and equipment like beds, quilts, covers, etc to suit any season. The beddings used for a child should be soft, light weight, clean and have mild fragrance. The beddings soiled with urine, feces, sweat or insects should be immediately discarded, washed, cleaned and new ones or the cleaned ones only should be used. The soiled beddings should be properly cleaned and disinfected before next use.
• Amenities- It should be separate from the rest of the pert of house or any other room but at the same time should have connected bathroom, toilet, kitchen and easy access to water connection.
• Rakshavidhana- Before bringing the child into the room, the place should be properly purified, sanctified and sterilized in a traditional way by performing raksha vidhana (protective measures in the form of pujas, prayers and rituals for the protection of the child, bali (sacrifices), Homa (fire sacrifices), mangala (auspicious chanting and sacrifices), Prayashchitta (repentence) as prescribed in vedic texts.
• People inside the room- Entry should be permitted to only those who are clean (sanitized), aged and experienced family members who can properly guide and only those who have care & affection in heart for the child. A vaidya should have access to this place easily or should visit frequently.

The concept of Kumaradhara

अभियुक्तः सदाचारो नातिस्थूलो न लोलुपः|

कुमारधारः कर्त्तव्यस्तत्राद्यो बालचित्तवित्|

अधार्मिकं दुराचारः स्थूलो विकटगामिनम्|

करोति लोलुपो बालं घस्मरत्वेन रोगिणम्||४४|| (Asht. Samg. utt. 1.44)

Kridabhoomi and Kridanaka

क्रीडाभूमिः समा कार्या निश्शस्त्रोपलशर्करा|

वेल्लोषणकणाम्भोभिः सिक्ता निम्बोदकेन वा|

जातुषं घोषविच्चित्रमत्रांस रमणं बृहत्|

अतीक्ष्णाग्रं गवाश्वादिमङ्गल्यमथ वा फलम्||४७|| (Asht. Samg. Utta. 1.47)