CCRAS-NIIMH Signs MoU with Sevadhi Museum

In a significant step towards the preservation, documentation and wider accessibility of India’s traditional medical knowledge heritage, the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sevadhi Museum & Indological Research Institute (SEMIRI), Kumaranalloor, Kottayam, Kerala, for the systematic digitization and preparation of a descriptive catalogue of its collection of medical manuscripts.

SEMIRI, run by the Kumaranalloor Ooranma Devaswom, has preserved a vast collection of more than 30,000 manuscripts, including temple records. The MoU marks an important collaborative initiative to safeguard valuable manuscript resources associated with the rich medical and intellectual traditions of Kerala.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS, stated that preservation of medical manuscripts is not merely an archival exercise but an essential component of safeguarding India’s intellectual heritage.

Dr. C.S. Unni, President, SEMIRI, stressed the importance of the collaboration in bringing out the vast heritage of Kerala, particularly that of the Kumaranalloor and Kottayam region. Dr. Goli Penchala Prasad, Head, CCRAS-NIIMH, spoke on the challenges and the way forward for manuscriptology, especially in the context of Ayurveda.

The event witnessed the participation of several prominent figures, including Dr. S. Rajendu, Curator, SEMIRI; Dr. Santosh S. Mane, Research Officer (Ayurveda); and Dr. Rakesh Narayanan, Research Officer (Ayurveda), CCRAS, New Delhi, along with other key officers representing the Kumaranalloor Ooranma Devaswom.(UPDATED ON 14TH AUGUST 2026)