NIRLAC-ARI-Workshop on Manuscriptology-Part I

For the first time in the world, a workshop is being held on Manuscriptology & Siddha Medical Manuscripts, especially for registered medical practitioners. It has been organised by the Prof K. Nachimuthu Institute of Research for Language and Culture (NIRLAC - www.nirlac.org.in), Coimbatore, a charitable trust dedicated to the study of Tamil language, literature and Siddha medical texts along with Arts Research Institute, Coimbatore (ARI - www.ari.org.in).

Nearly 65% of all the palm leaf manuscripts available in the world today pertain to Siddha Medicine. They contain a treasure trove of information; from physiognomy to disease diagnosis to pharmacology to treatment protocols and much more. And yet, not even a handful of scholars can decipher the ancient Tamil, the manuscripts are written in.

Commentaries that are available are often erroneous, since they are more literary than scientific in approach. Also, the Siddhas were known to couch their intuitive knowledge of the human body and spirit in the 'twilight language' or 'paribashai'. All this has led to these manuscripts languishing in libraries and private collections around the world, instead of being actively used to serve humanity.

"The medical treasure trove of the Siddhas belongs to the people and it can reach them best through qualified doctors. Once they learn how to decipher the Tamil manuscripts, they can use the knowledge both in their practice and to undertake further scientific research into cures for various illnesses," says NIRLAC Honorary Managing Trustee, Dr.N.Shumugom.

A two day workshop was organized in Coimbatore on 31st Jan & 1st Feb 2009. In the workshop, the background information regarding how palm leave manuscripts were prepared, how texts were written in palm leave manuscripts, how palm leave manuscripts were preserved and how manuscript Tamil language has to be decoded into modern Tamil language was discussed in detail. The participants even decoded a small Siddha medicine text book available in the palm leave manuscripts. The participant strength was limited to just 15 so that the teaching is more effective. The participants were mostly Siddha doctors, Ayurvedic doctors and Homeopathy doctors.

Introduction to the palm leave manuscripts were given by Pulavar P.V.Nagarajan. He has more than 35 years of experience in decoding palm leaf manuscripts. He completed his graduation in Bachelor of Literature (Tamil) at Chennai University. He held the responsibilities as Senior Technical Assistant in Department of Palm Leaf, Tamil University, Tanjur; Senior researcher International Dravidian Linguistic Association, Trivandrum; Editor - Tamil Peragaraathi Virivaaka Thittam Department of Tamil, Chennai University. He has published 56 books on various topics like literature, grammar, Palm leaf catalogue, translations, history of Ramananda Swamigal and Kandasami Swamigal etc. He has participated and has organized numerous workshops and conferences on Tamil language. He is well versed in Indian languages like Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and English. Presently he is Secretary, Thava Thiru Gaja Poojai Sundara Swamigla Tamil Aaivu Maiyam, Goumara Madalayam, Coimbatore.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• NIRLAC
• ARI
• Manuscriptology
• Manuscripts
• Tamil
• Siddha
• Medicine
• Decoding
• Palm
• Leaf

[googyfriend]

I am interested to join both ARI and NIRLAC team. you can send me an inmail from you tube account and can we take it from there???

[googyfriend]

I request ARI team to extend the manuscriptology courses to individual researchers as well as to medicine practitioners and thissshould be conducted once in 3 months to gain importance. We have google ad sense, facebook ads and many more to market about this event to get sponsorship to conduct such events. some one should take ownership to market about ARI and the rest of ARI team should work towards conducting event.

I am interested to take owner ship and to join ARI team...

[googyfriend]

Manuscriptology course is what am looking for exactly. This course of 15 videos had helped me to get to know the basics atleast in a theoritical point of view. If you can publish more videos and books that talks about manusriptology that would help many researchers to get better grip and hold on ancient culture and medicines.

[sugalaya]

Can you also post any Varma Kalai workshop videos if you have? See some of the videos which I have posted on Varma, thanks to G.Swaminathan, the Varma Kalai Aasaan who practice this art in Tanjavur.

[sugalaya]

Many thanks for posting these videos which are our old traditional treatments which has lost its way mainly due to not sharing the knowledge through the generation. Hopefully, one day this would become the first choice for treatments. Thanks.