In Gandaria, Dhaka, inside a modest room within the large factory at 71 dinanath sen Road, Jogesh Chandra Ghosh sat beneath a dim yellow 40-watt bulb, writing down a formula for a new medicine. Wrapped in a thin shawl, his dhoti pulled up to the knees, few would have guessed he was a millionaire.

In the ’50s and ’60s, Shadhana Oushadhalaya boasted over 150 branches and more than 2,000 agencies across India.Its medicines were especially sought after in Bihar and Assam. Jogesh Babu even hoped to expand Shadhana into Europe and America.

Years earlier, when Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray visited Dhaka, he toured the Shadhana factory. Upon seeing piles of order letters from across the world, he congratulated Jogesh Babu on Shadhana’s success.

“shadhana oushadhalaya was very famous until the ’90s. After technology developed, people moved away from Ayurvedic medicine. Especially the upper classes, who previously relied on Ayurvedic treatments, suddenly shifted to allopathy. Still, many of our medicines sell. We have regular customers who have trusted Shadhana for generations. We survive because of them.” Chittaranjan Das, retail branch manager, Shadhana Oushadhalaya

However, Jogesh Babu’s interest in chemistry began in his college days.After completing his BA in 1906, he enrolled for his MA at the University of Calcutta.It was here that Acharya Ray encouraged him to produce medicines from indigenous resources.

This strengthened his resolve to rely on herbs and plants rather than imported pharmaceuticals – an idea that aligned perfectly with the swadeshi spirit sweeping Bengal after the 1905 Partition of Bengal.

Boycotting foreign goods was only half the movement; producing alternatives was essential. alongside the charkha spinning cloth,and smoke rising from local factories,the indigenous industry grew rapidly.

Ayurveda as a way to serve humanity

When Acharya Ray urged students to prepare medicines from indigenous ingredients, it opened new horizons for Jogesh Babu. In 1908, he travelled to England for higher studies in chemistry and later to America.After joining Bhagalpur College as a professor, he studied Ayurveda extensively for four years.

Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old system originating in India, remains prevalent today in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Its medicines are made from roots, flowers, leaves, fruits and other natural ingredients.

According to the Johns Hopkins Medical journal, Ayurveda seeks to balance the mind, body, spirit and habitat; disease arises when these elements are out of balance.

Shadhana: The Ayurvedic Pioneer Who Took Bengal’s Medicines Global

Jogesh Chandra Bose founded Shadhana in 1936, a company that quickly became synonymous with quality Ayurvedic medicine. He started with a small capital and a big vision: to make effective, affordable healthcare accessible to all.

Initially operating from Dhaka, Shadhana rapidly gained popularity. Its products, including formulations for coughs, colds, tuberculosis, and heart ailments, were highly sought after. Chyawanprash, sold at just 3 rupees per seer (approximately 1 kg), was particularly praised for its restorative properties. The company also produced medicines for skin diseases and were considered effective against all types of fever.

Challenges and Martyrdom

After the Partition of India, Shadhana faced meaningful obstacles. The Indian government imposed a 36% tax on Ayurvedic medicines imported from pakistan. Increased customs scrutiny on both sides of the border ultimately halted shipments from Dhaka to its Indian branches.

To keep the business alive, Jogesh chandra established a second factory in Dum Dum, Calcutta, in 1950. He entrusted its management to his son, Naresh, who played a vital role in expanding Shadhana’s reach across India.

Father and son collaborated to develop approximately 800 different medicines.

As India’s Ayurvedic market has grown from $2.85 billion in 2014 to $10.5 billion in 2024, Shadhana’s legacy is even more apparent. Before today’s leading brands like Patanjali, Dabur, Baidyanath, and Zandu began exporting globally, Jogesh Chandra had already introduced Bengal-made Ayurvedic medicines to the international market.

Shadhana once operated branches in China and North America, and exported its products to america, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and China.

“If I have to die, I will die on the soil of this country.”

born in Jalchatra village of Gosairhat, Shariatpur, Jogesh Chandra Bose’s patriotism was tested during the Bangladesh Liberation War. In early April 1971, most Hindu residents of Gan