Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, an Ayurvedic healthcare centre based in Kerala, is one of the leading brand and oldest names in the field for traditional Ayurvedic medicines and practice, offering therapies and treatments to patients from across the globe. Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala makes available its medicines to its patients through 26 branch clinics and over 1750 authorized dealers.
The specially formulated Kottakkal medicines, prepared according to the ancient texts of Ayurveda and the knowledge that was passed down from generation to generation, are made available to the patients in the form of Aristhams (Fermented Formulation), Bhasma (calcinated drug), Churna (powdered herb), Ghrita (ghee-based), Kashayam (decoction), Lehyam (electuary), Thailam (oil-based) and Rasakriya (collerium). Today, most of the herbal raw materials in the form of herbal origin, shrubs, leaves, barks etc., required for the preparation of the medicine, are grown by Arya Vaidya Sala in their own 220 acres of forest land in the Western Ghats.
Brief history of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala
Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala is a 118-year-old charitable institution, dedicated to the practice of Ayurvedic branch of medicine, treatment and therapies, established by Visionary Physician, the late Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier in the year 1902 in Kottakkal Kerala. At present, Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala produces over 550 traditional and modern formulated medicines which gets distributed across the country through the vast network of dealers.
The branch of Ayurveda medicine and the practitioners underwent a difficult phase under the British rule of India and the introduction of modern western medicines. The dedication and long complicated procedure to prepare medicines and the shortage of experts in the Ayurveda slowly pushed the Indian population shift towards modern medicine. One could say the branch of Ayurveda was slowly facing extinction. It was in this scenario, P.S. Varier, a student of the famous Ayurvedic practitioner Kuttanchery Vasudevan Mooss, opened a village clinic in 1902 at Kottakkal in Kerala.
Varier, in 1917, established Ayurveda Patashala, now known as the Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier Ayurveda College and in 1924, a charitable hospital, Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS) at Kottakkal. Today, AVS has become a world-renowned institution with an Ayurvedic hospital, research centres and branch clinics across India.
Varier’s vision was simple, to treat as many patients as possible by providing Ayurvedic treatment and propagate the traditional, time-approved methods of the ancient branch of Indian medicine, Ayurveda. Varier was focused on to bring back Ayurveda to its original glory and integrate scientific knowledge and base to the ancient treatment method. He authored many textbooks on Ayurveda to this means.
Types of Medicines in Kottakkal Ayurveda
Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal Manufactures more than 550 classical formulation medicines which fall in the following categories.
- Arishta (Arishtam) / Asava (Fermented Formulation)
- Bhasma / Bhasmam (Calicinated Drug)
- Churna / Churnam (Powdered Herb)
- Ghrita / Ghritam (Ghee Based)
- Gulika / Tablet (Pill)
- Kashaya / Kashayam (Decoction)
- Leha / Leham (Electuary)
- Rasakriya (Collerium)
- Kuzhampu / Tailam (Oil Based)
