Ayurveda Museum

India is a treasure-trove of ancient branches of human knowledge, and Ayurveda is perhaps the most precious among them. It is regarded as an ‘upa-veda’ (subsidiary) rooted in the millennium-old Vedas. This makes it the oldest form of healthcare in the whole world. Etymologically analyzed, Ayurveda implies the Science of Life, as ‘Ayur’ means ‘longevity’ or ‘life’ and Veda connotes ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. A system of holistic medicine, it is a striking paradigm of the perfect harmony between Man and Nature and further an intrinsic part of Indian culture.

The advent of this branch of medicine in Kerala dates back to the time when Lord Parasurama is believed to have roped in the Ashtavaidya families to this land. Small wonder, then that, the credit for preserving and disseminating the same with all its pristine purity is imputed to them. Among them, Eledath Thaikkattu Mooss stands out for the yeoman services rendered in upholding the tradition through variegated pursuits of treatment, education and manufacturing of Ayurvedic medicines in the name of VAIDYARATNAM for centuries.

The Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda Museum is one amongst Vaidyaratnam Oushadashala’s  multifarious ventures, meant to enlighten the public about the rich heritage of Ayurveda at large, and the Group in particular. It is a landmark undertaking ingeniously designed, to provide an audio-visual tour of the age-old history of evolution of this science to the visitors. It may be remembered, that after its genesis during the Vedic era, the system has undergone sea changes in the subsequent eras of ‘Samhita’, (when all the ancient literature pertaining to this life science was documented), ’Samgraha’, that witnessed emergence of new treatises and also the modern era when modern science and technology wielded much influence on this branch. The visitor will be taken on a journey through all these historic periods of development inside the Museum.

The Museum, the first of its kind in the history of Ayurveda, narrates the evolution through a multimedia experience including artifacts, sculptures, scriptures and pictures. A 3D gallery is an added attraction to showcase the developments in the manufacturing of Ayurvedic medicines and treatment techniques evolved over the ages. Further, this will enable the visitor to appreciate how the tradition is preserved even in the contemporary scenario against the backdrop of technological innovations and modernization. The footnotes of each exhibit are self explanatory and provide a wealth of information.

The Museum features an ‘Acharya Mandapam’, dedicated to ‘Ashtavaidya’ Gurus ‘where our founder, E. T. Neelakandhan Mooss , Lord Dhanwanthari, Adi Sankaracharya, Lord Buddha  and Acharya Vagbhata are venerated and their blessing sought. The museum walks through the evolution of Ayurveda heritage right from the mythological era to the contemporary period. It also demonstrates the classic treatment procedures of Ayurveda, as well as the Kerala specialties which were followed in yester years and the initiatives to preserve and develop it for the future generations.

• A library comprising a vaast collection of literature and scriptures used by the ‘Ashtavaidyas’, including many ancient manuscripts.
• A digital library with a sizeable CD collections based on Ayurveda and a Projector Conference Hall for audio-visual shows and presentations on Ayurveda.
• A picture gallery and a collection of more than 300 medicinal plants, also depicting their medicinal properties.
• A gallery providing detailed information about the ‘Ashtavaidya Eledath Thaikkattu Mooss’ family ancestry.

The Museum owes much to the rich and varied collections of manuscripts, books and documents in the Library, an immortal contribution of the forebears of Ashtavaidyan Eledath Thaikkattu Mooss family including Ashtavaidyan Vaidyaratnam E.T. Narayanan Mooss and Ashtavaidyan Padmashree E.T. Neelakandhan Mooss . The unique project is a tribute to these venerated stalwarts of Ayurveda.