India Advances Ayurvedic Manuscript Preservation with New Workshop
In a major move to safeguard and promote India’s classical medical heritage, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has successfully hosted a 15-day Transliteration Capacity Building Workshop on Ayurvedic Manuscripts. This workshop, conducted in collaboration with the Central Sanskrit University (CSU), took place at the CSU Puranattukara (Guruvayoor) Campus in Thrissur, Kerala, from January 12 to 25, 2026.
This immersive two-week residential program brought together 33 participants, comprising 18 Ayurvedic scholars and 15 experts from the field of Sanskrit. The interdisciplinary nature of the workshop encouraged collaboration and knowledge exchange, which is critical for effective manuscript studies.
Comprehensive Training and Hands-on Experience
Organized under a Memorandum of Understanding between CCRAS and CSU, the workshop was a key initiative within CCRAS’s national mission to document, digitize, and utilize classical Ayurvedic manuscripts for research purposes. The comprehensive training covered various essential aspects such as manuscriptology, palaeography, and technical Ayurvedic terminology. Special sessions focused on the Grantha and Vattezhuthu scripts provided participants with valuable hands-on transliteration training, enabling them to engage directly with original palm-leaf manuscripts.
Significant Scholarly Outcomes
One of the workshop’s notable achievements was the successful transliteration of five rare and previously unpublished Ayurvedic manuscripts. These manuscripts now serve as vital resources for further research and include:
- Dhanwanthari (Vaidya) Chinthamani – A 146-page Grantha manuscript.
- Dravyashuddhi – A 110-page manuscript also in Grantha.
- Vaidyam – A 59-page Medieval Malayalam manuscript.
- Roga Nirnaya, Part I – A 75-page manuscript in Medieval Malayalam.
- Vividharogangal – A 78-page Vattezhuthu manuscript.
The transliterations have made these texts available for advanced research, enriching the pool of Ayurvedic knowledge.
Continued Collaboration for Future Initiatives
During the valedictory function, Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General of CCRAS, emphasized the importance of this workshop as the second collaboration with CSU under the Ayurveda Manuscript Research Initiative. He highlighted that the first workshop, held at the CSU Puri Campus in Odisha, successfully transliterated 14 Ayurvedic manuscripts, showcasing a continuous national effort.
Prof. K. K. Shine, Director of CSU Guruvayoor Campus, alongside Prof. K. Vishwanathan, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to work with CCRAS for the systematic preservation and revival of Malayalam Ayurvedic manuscripts, an essential aspect of India’s regional medical heritage.
Coordinated by Prof. K. Vishwanathan from CSU and Dr. Parvathy G. Nair from CCRAS, the program’s concluding session was attended by senior officials, academicians, and experts in the field.
Strengthening Ayurveda Through Research
The workshop received accolades for its integrative approach and for achieving tangible scholarly outputs within a limited time frame. CCRAS refocused its commitment to strengthening evidence-based Ayurveda through such initiatives, which play a crucial role in preserving regional medical traditions and supporting the long-term conservation of India’s classical medical knowledge.
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