Friday, March 29, 2024

PK Warrier, who added to the fame of Ayurveda, dies at 100

PK Warrier, who added to the fame of Ayurveda, has died at 100 on Saturday.

A Padmabhushan awardee and Kerala’s Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala’s managing trustee Dr. PK Warrier enjoyed the highest echelon among the practitioners of Ayurveda across the world.

P K Warrier who turned 100 on June 8 had taken the Arya Vaidya Sala to great heights in the last six decades.

Panniyampilly Krishna Warrier was born on June 5, 1921 in Malabar district of the Madras presidency. He studied Ayurveda in Arya Vaidya Pathasala, in the village of Kottakkal in Kerala’s Malappuram district. In 1954, he was catapulted into the position of Managing Trustee of the then small Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS) in Kottakal.

Arya Vaidya Sala has become a premier destination for scholars, students and patients alike, both from within India and overseas. Kottakkal is now a synonym for authentic Ayurveda. It considers treatment of patients as its primary mission. Over 800,000 people benefit every year from free consultations at its hospitals, twenty-two branches are located in different parts of India.

Dr. Warrier’s writings and speeches on inter- and intra disciplinary subjects have greatly enriched contemporary medical literature. He has written many papers, of which a collection in Malayalam has been published under the title–‘Padamudrakal’–speeches and writings of P. K. Warrier. He has also focused attention and passion on Ayurvedic education in colleges and universities. As Secretary of Arya Vaidya Samajam, he has guided the growth of the Vaidyaratnam P.S. Warrier Ayurveda College (previously Arya Vaidya Pathasala) for over two decades, during the time when it was upgraded to an Ayurveda College. He has also served as Dean of Ayurveda Faculty, Calicut University and Chairman of its Board of Studies.

In recognition of his unique academic achievements, the University of Calicut conferred on him the degree of D. Litt. in May 1999. He was twice elected as president of the All India Ayurveda Congress, once in 1981 and again in 2003.

In 1996, the Russian Medical Association invited him to attend its Ayurvedic Seminar in Moscow. In 1998, he led a team from Kottakkal to participate in the two-day Ayurveda Conference, ‘Ayurveda for the 21st Century – Paradigm for Health’ in New York. He chaired its Scientific Session, presenting a paper on Panchakarma. He also lectured at New York City’s India Club to World Bank and IMF Executives. Many took advantage of his presence in the city for clinical consultations. This extensive tour and interaction with dignitaries generated a great deal of international interest in Ayurveda.

spot_img

Don't Miss

Related Articles