Haridra Khanda
Haridra Khanda is a classical Ayurvedic khanda, a granular herbal confection. Referenced in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 3:31) lists 18 ingredients, beginning with Haridra, Havisa, Ksira and Khanda.
| Also known as | Haridra Khanda, HaridraKhanda |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Referenced in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) published by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of AYUSH; standard physicochemical parameters established; used in Indian government Ayurvedic hospitals |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 3:31 (HARIDRA KHANDA), which cites Bhaisajyaratnavali, Sitapittodardakothadhikara; 12-14.. Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.
| # | Ingredient | Part | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haridra * | rhizome | 384 g. |
| 2 | Havisa (goghrta) * | 288 g. | |
| 3 | Ksira (godugdha) * | illegible | |
| 4 | Khanda * | 2.400 kg. | |
| 5 | Sunthi * | rhizome | 48 g. |
| 6 | Marica * | fruit | 48 g. |
| 7 | Pippali * | fruit | 48 g. |
| 8 | Tvak * | stem bark | 48 g. |
| 9 | Ela (suksmaila) | seed | 48 g. |
| 10 | Patra (tejapatra) | leaf | 48 g. |
| 11 | Krmighna (vidanga) * | fruit | 48 g. |
| 12 | Trivrta (trivrt) | root | 48 g. |
| 13 | Haritaki | pericarp | 48 g. |
| 14 | Bibhitaka | pericarp | 48 g. |
| 15 | Amalaki | pericarp | 48 g. |
| 16 | KeSara (nagakesara) | stamens | 48 g. |
| 17 | Musta | root tuber | 48 g. |
| 18 | Lauha - bhasma | 48 g. |
Cells marked illegible are damaged in the source scan. The ingredient name is shown where it was readable, and nothing is inferred to fill a gap.
* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.
The Formulary gives the anupana, the vehicle it is taken with, as water, milk. This is what the Formulary records for the classical preparation. It is not a dose for any product, and not advice to take anything.
The evidence at a glance
3papers on this site for this drug, published 2006 to 2024, 1 with a DOI.
- 3Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Haridra Khanda |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Bhaishajya Ratnavali
How does it work?
- Experimental studies using LC-ESI-MS/MS have reported that Curcumin modulates histamine release and mast cell degranulation, which suggests anti-allergic activity.
- Anti-inflammatory action through NF-kB pathway inhibition has been reported for curcumin in experimental studies
- Turmeric combined with Lauha Bhasma is traditionally used for allergic itching and urticaria
- Haridra with Triphala and Vidanga is classically described as blood purifying (Rakta Shodhaka) and traditionally used in chronic skin allergies
- Lauha Bhasma (iron calx) is traditionally used for anemia and as mineral supplementation
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Sheetapitta (urticaria/allergic skin rash): traditionally used for allergic urticaria. A clinical evaluation reported improvement in allergic urticaria.
- Pratishyaya (allergic rhinitis): traditionally used for allergic rhinitis. A pharmacological study in experimental models reported anti-histamine activity using LC-ESI-MS/MS.
- Kushta (skin diseases): traditionally used as a blood-purifying and anti-allergic remedy. Studies have reported anti-inflammatory activity for curcumin.
- Kandu (pruritus/itching): traditionally used for itching. Studies have reported antipruritic, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.
What do recent studies show?
No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.
Recent safety updates
- Generally safe for most individuals; currently used in Indian government hospitals for allergy management
- May cause increased body heat, abdominal fullness, and mouth ulcers - these effects are mitigated when taken with cow milk
- Excessive use may lead to mild digestive discomfort in sensitive individuals; Lauha Bhasma content requires proper quality assurance
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Khanda (granular confection), Churna variant, Capsules (modern), Tablets (modern)
Standard Dosage: 3-6 g twice daily with warm milk. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India attributes this formula to Bhaisajyaratnavali, Sitapittodardakothadhikara; 12-14.
Optimal Timing: After meals, twice daily, especially for Sheetapitta (urticaria) and allergic conditions
Storage: Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. Protect from moisture (sugar-based, hygroscopic). Temperature not exceeding 25°C.
Marker Compounds: Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin, Bisdemethoxycurcumin, Piperine, Embelin (from Vidanga), Turmerone
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm milk (classically prescribed, enhances absorption)
Synergistic Combinations
What manufacturers publish about this preparation
Disclosure first. This site is published by Age Ayurveda, which sells Ayurvedic products, though not this preparation. Every cell states what that company's own product page carried when it was read, not our judgement of it. There is no score, no rank and no winner here, and the table is in alphabetical order for that reason.
The formulary entry above fixes the ingredients and the quantity of each. Whether you can check a particular product against it depends on what its manufacturer publishes. Of the 6 companies surveyed that sell a product under this name, this is what their pages carried when they were read on 8 October 2026.
| Company | What its product page publishes |
|---|---|
| Maharishi Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Patanjali Ayurved | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Shree Dhootapapeshwar | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| SNA Oushadhasala | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
This measures what each company publishes, not the quality of anything it makes. A company that publishes nothing here may make an excellent preparation, and the label in the box is a separate, regulated surface that is not what was read. What disclosure changes is whether a reader, a pharmacist or an answer engine can check a product against the formulary entry it claims.
Method, the full counts across every company surveyed, and what this measurement got wrong the first time: which manufacturers publish what is in the bottle. The URL of every page read is recorded in brand-disclosure.json. If a row here is wrong, including where the correction favours a company other than ours, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did. How the same companies' stated doses compare with the formulary dose, preparation by preparation: Ayurvedic company doses against the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Laboratory and animal studies3
- 2024. Ayurvedic herbal formulations Haridra Khanda and Manjisthadi Kwath (brihat) in the management of allergic rhinitis: A pharmacological studyHeliyon. PMID 38868043 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31937
- 2006. TLC PROFILE AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS of HARIDRA KHANDA - An AYURVREDIC FORMULATIONAncient science of life. PMID 22557215
- 2008. Standardization of the ayurvedic formulation Haridra Khanda using high-performance thin-layer chromatography-densitometryJournal of AOAC International. PMID 18980135
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.