Background Metals, minerals and gemstones are used to prepare drugs in combination with various herbal materials in ayurvedic treatments. During the process of preparation, metals, minerals or gemstones are converted into special form known as bhasma by series of pharmaceutical processes; shodhana , bhavana and marana . Puta is the amount of heat required to produce specific bhasma in a cycle of treatment in the process of marana . Traditionally, heat is produced by burning cow dung cakes and the amount of heat to be provided is described in terms of cow dung cakes (fuel) burnt. Objective The present study was aimed to obtain the temperature profile of the traditional Varaha Puta and to establish a complementary temperature profile in a muffle furnace. Materials and methods The temperature profile of Varaha puta was determined using dried cow dung cakes (which were prepared using cow dung and paddy husk) with an average calorific value of 15.44 MJ/kg as the fuel. Then temperature profile of traditional Varaha Puta was mapped with an electric muffle furnace and Swarna Makshika (Chalcopyrite) bhasma was prepared using both traditional method and in electric muffle furnace. Results Bhasma prepared using both Varaha Puta and muffle furnace have shown similar properties according to classical tests of Ayurveda and laboratory techniques. Conclusion The results show the possibility of using a muffle furnace to prepare Swarna Makshika bhasma instead of using traditional Varaha Puta .

Lauha Bhasma (LB) is a prominent Ayurveda medicine and uses as an ingredient to prepare other indigenous medicines in Ayurveda. The outcomes of this study on chemical and physical changes during the preparation process of LB become significant to explore ancient knowledge of east within the modern context. The preparation process of LB was carried out under laboratory conditions; starting from the elemental form of the Iron sample to identify the chemical and physical changes. The metallic composition of the starting material and intermediate products formed during the LB preparation process was determined using the AAS technique. The variation of the amount of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ throughout the process and formation of nanoparticles was identified using quantitative analysis. Even though the amount of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mn) present in the starting material is low, the trace level of heavy metals in the iron sample significantly reduces during the LB preparation process. Irregular-shaped, agglomerated, blackish red (Pakvajambuphala varna) fine LB powder formed at the end of the Putapaka step. The value of ancient knowledge can be revealed using the chemical and physical changes identified throughout the study on the LB preparation process.

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