Dr. P. K. Warrier

Dr. P. K. Warrier is a name closely associated to a string of exemplary ayurveda practitioners and physicians of Kerala, who were responsible for the resurrection of Ayurveda in Kerala. Their efforts resulted in the establishment of one of the largest and most trusted institutions of its kind in India; the Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala in the District of Malappuram in North Kerala. Dr. P. K. Warrier is a senior nephew of Vaidyaratnam Dr. P. S. Warrier, who established the Arya Vaidya Sala at Kottakkal in 1902. Since the beginning of the ayurveda centre, the name Kottakkal has become synonymous with ayurveda, and is an institution offering authentic ayurvedic medicines and treatments to patients from all over India and abroad.

Taking the reigns of the Arya Vaidya Sala from his elder brother Mr. Madhava Warrier in 1954, Dr. P. K. Warrier currently spearheads the activities of the centre at Kottakkal, where he is also the chief physician. His is today a respected name in the field of Ayurveda, and has lived up to the reputation and the expectations of his predecessors in the practice and popularization of ayurevda. The altruistic services of Dr. P. K. Warrier as the Managing Trustee of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala for nearly five decades have transformed the organization into a much admired and a highly professional one. The Arya Vaidya Sala recently celebrated its centenary, which is yet another significant milestone in its existence.

People from far and near visit the Arya Vaidya Sala at Kottakkal including those from European countries, Middle-East, USA, and South-East Asia for various purposes such as research, treatment, learning etc. As years passed, access to Arya Vaidya Sala has been made easier with its operations expanding to other parts of the country, and has its presence in major Indian cities like New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore.

In recognition to his outstanding contributions to the popularity and advancement of ayurveda, Dr. P. K. Warrier has been honoured with many awards and distinctions. He is the recipient of the coveted national honour ‘Padmashri’ instituted by the Government of India. Other notable awards and recognitions include the International Bhoopalman Singh Award from Nepal; the ‘Dr. Poulos Mar Gregorios Award’ for his contribution to the development of Ayurveda; the prestigious Dhanvanthari Award; and the ‘Management Leadership Award’ award instituted by Kerala Management Association (KMA).

According to Dr. P. K. Warrier, the guiding visions of Arya Vaidya Sala centers on the preservation and promotion of ayurveda by providing genuine ayurvedic medicines, treatment, education and research facilities, and sustenance of ayurvedic system of health care. An accomplished physician and one of the few authorities on ayurveda in India, Dr. Warrier is widely reckoned for his initiatives to transform the traditional approaches in the practice of ayurveda in tune with modern times. The establishments under Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala today reflect this, and is evident in the form of computerized hospital administration, state-of-the-art drug manufacturing units, modern dispatch method for medicines, setting up of herbal gardens, establishment of research and development wing etc.

Dr. P. K. Warrier is well aware of the need for modern ayurveda research. He believes that this should have the involvement of necessary materials and methods of both modern medicine and ayurveda. According to this eminent physician, the primary objective should be the exploration and revalidation of the inherent strengths of ayurveda for the benefit of humanity.

Dr. Warrier is no doubt a visionary ayurveda physician, and has firm aspirations, with a focus primarily on research and development, augmentation of medicinal plant cultivation and continuation of the work on health care. Besides this, taking ayurveda to the status of principal health care system all over the world is his personal goal, and his altruistic efforts in the past and the present are clear indications towards this goal.