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The Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala celebrated the Founder’s Day on January 16, marking 150th birth anniversary of its founder P S Varier, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan among other dignitaries gracing the occasion.

The late Vaidyaratnam P S Varier established the Arya Vaidya Sala at Kottakkal in 1902, essentially as a village clinic but it has now grown into multi-unit, multi-disciplinary and multi-functional organisation, with 26 branch clinics across the country.

“The state government is in the process of setting up an International Ayurveda Research centre as part of our attempts to develop the sector. The aim is to popularise the traditional healthcare system and make the ayurveda treatment available to all ,” Vijayan said during his inaugural address.

Ayurveda was deep-rooted in Kerala from time immemorial and the treatment practices were handed over from one generation to another. “But then it was P S Varier who took the initiative to study exotic Ayurvedic treatment practices that existed then and transformed the same  into a dependable and efficient system of healthcare,” the chief minister noted.

A renowned academician-cum-educator, physician and philanthropist, Varier was an ardent follower of Indian traditions. He set up an Ayurveda Pathasala in 1917, which later became the Vaidyaratnam PS Varier Ayurveda College, currently affiliated to the Kerala University of Health Sciences. He,was also instrumental  in establishing a herbal garden and a Kathakali Academy.

During the function, Dr P M Varier, Chief Physician, Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, handed over excellence awards to those students from various Ayurvedic colleges.

 

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