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For 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 signed 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.
The manuscript collection preserved by the institution contains rare and historically significant works relating to Ayurveda and allied areas of traditional knowledge.
Under the collaborative framework, CCRAS-NIIMH will provide technical and scholarly expertise for the digitization of the manuscripts and preparation of their descriptive catalogue, covering hundreds of medical manuscripts. The digitization component will facilitate the creation of high-quality digital copies, thereby contributing to the long-term preservation of the manuscripts and reducing the need for repeated physical handling of fragile and historically valuable materials.
