Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala will pass yet another milestone on Monday when its Managing Trustee and Chief Physician Aryavaidyan P.K. Warrier completes his 70th year of trusteeship.
For the 113-year-old Arya Vaidya Sala, it is an occasion to celebrate.
Minister for Tourism A.P. Anil Kumar will inaugurate the celebrations on Monday afternoon. For Dr. Warrier, it is an occasion to tell the world that slow and steady wins the race. Dr. Warrier, perceived a synonym for Arya Vaidya Sala as he turns 94 in a couple of weeks, took Ayurveda to new heights of glory by blending principles and practicality.
The long years of discipline, patience, humility, progressive outlook, and compassion have won him a permanent niche in the world of Ayurveda. Arya Vaidya Sala owes him a great deal for what it is today. Ever since he became the Managing Trustee in 1954, Arya Vaidya Sala saw itself growing from strength to strength. Dr. Warrier played a pivotal role in making the institution a global destination of Ayurveda. Today, nearly 30 per cent of the patients seeking treatment here are foreign nationals.
Neither a purist nor an iconoclast, Dr. Warrier treaded the middle-path embracing all technological innovations that science offered while upholding classical Ayurveda texts. His acceptance in the academic realms is so great that even in his 90s, he is keenly sought after in Ayurveda conferences around the world.
Endearingly called Kuttiman, Dr. Warrier is a physician with exceptional diagnostic skills. The healing touch he provided to thousands of people, including the high and the mighty, has been proverbial. Winner of the Padmabhooshan Award in 2010, the Ashtangaratna Award in 2009, and the Dhanwantari Award in 2001, Dr. Warrier was bestowed with honorary post-doctoral degrees of several universities, including MG University, Calicut University, and Jamia Hamdard Deemed University. His autobiography in Malayalam, Smrithiparvam, won the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award.
