Padmabhooshan Raghavan Thirumulppad
Raghavan Thirumulppad was a great ayurvedic scholar and physician born in kerala. Raghavan Thirumulppad was a legendry teacher of ayurveda, a renowned ayurvedic practitioner, a Sanskrit scholar who used to teach students for Vidwan exam, and a great trainer for students of ayurveda. Raghavan Thirumulppad was awarded Padmabooshan posthumously on Jan 25 2011 for his scholarly contributions to ayurved and Sanskrit
Padmabhooshan Raghavan Thirumulppad
Kerala is known as the God's Own Country not just for it scenic landscape. Among many other things that Kerala is famous for, one important area is Ayurveda, India's indigenous contribution to the world of medical science. Many great men lived on this land had worked strenuously for the uplift of society through dissemination and practice of knowledge they had acquired from sacred texts that were inaccessible to the common man. Ayurveda is one such important field where many eminent Keralites have made valuable contributions through their service of the society by propagating and practicing the divine knowledge they had imbibed from ancient Sanskrit texts. Among these eminent men, Vaidyabhooshanam Raghavan Thirumulppad has a pre-eminent position in that his entire life was lived for championing the cause of a holistic life style based on Ayurveda, with focus on life-style alteration to prevent diseases. Rather than prescribing heavy dose of medicines, as is the case today, he believed in minimum medicines, and advised life-style modifications to lead a healthy life. According to him, the four pillars of a healthy life were wholesome food, good sleep, moderated sex and optimal exercises.Early Life
Raghavan Thirumulppad was Born to Ms. K. Lakshmikkutty Nambishtathiri and Mr. D. Narayana Iyer at Chingol in Alappuzha district of Kerala in 1920. Thirumulpad had learnt ayurveda in the traditional Gurukula system in 1940s, under the guidance of Mr. P. Vasudevan Nambisan, an eminent ayurveda scholar and former Chief Physician at Rama Varma Central Ayurveda Hospital in Trichur. Thirumulpad had also specialized in Panchakarma at the same hospital. He had graduated as Vaidyabhooshanam in 1950. Mr. Thirumulpad also holds a Certificate in Naturopathy from the Indian Institute of Natural Therapeutics, Bombay. He later got registered as an A-Class Medical Practitioner in the then Travancore-Cochin Medical Council.
Thirumulpad has also learnt Sanskrit from Mr. P. S. Subbarama Pattar, Professor at Sri Kerala Varma College, Trichur, and Tharkam (Indian Logic) from Mr. Konath Krishna Warrier. He had also mastered Jyothisham (Astrology) from Mr. Mandamparambath Narayanan Namboothiri.
Thirumulpad was a great teacher of Ayurveda and a physician of repute. As a teacher, he is respected by generations of ayurveda practitioners all over Kerala. What keeps him apart from the crowd of ayurvedic practitioners is his ability to combine the traditional as well as modern elements of ayurveda and his in-depth insight of theory and practice.
Mr. Raghavan Thirumulpad was a multi-faceted personality. He was a legendry teacher of ayurveda, a renowned ayurvedic practitioner, a Sanskrit scholar who used to teach students for Vidwan exam, and a great trainer for students of ayurveda. He used to assist research students for their doctoral works. He was also associated with the Centre for Health Care Research and Education, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences at Kalamassery in Kochi.
He was greatly influenced by the ideals and practices of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi during the 1950's and 60's. He used to devote the morning session for medical practice and the afternoons for social service. As an ardent campaigner for the national language Hindi, he was active in the Kerala Sarvodaya Sangh.MEMBERSHIP IN ACADEMIC BODIES
BOARD OF STUDIES (AYURVEDA): M.G. University, Kottayam, Kerala (1991-1994)
FACULTY OF AYURVEDA: Kerala University, Trivandrum, Kerala (One term)
BOARD OF STUDIES (AYURVEDA): Calicut University, Kerala (Three terms)
FACULTY OF AYURVEDA: Kannur University, Kerala
BOARD OF STUDIES & EXAMINER: Ayurveda College, Ayurvedic Trust, Coimbatore (One term)
SYNDICATE & ACADEMIC COUNCIL: Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala (1997-00)
Hon. MEMBER: Loka Swasthya Parampara Samithy, Coimbatore – an organization devoted to the promotion of traditional medical practices.Honors
He wasalso conferred with many prestigious awards. They include, Panditaratnam (1992) given by Viswa Samskritha Prathishtanam; Vidyabhooshanam (1993) conferred by Kerala Samskritha Academy, Thrissur; Anga Vastra (1972) received from Kanchi Kamakodi Sankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswathi; Fellowship (1998) given by National Academy of Ayurveda, New Delhi, and Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) during International Seminar on Heart Diseases, Pune.
On Jan 25, 2011, the Ayruveda Acharyan was awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously, 2 months after his death.
Thirumulpad set up Vaidyabhooshanam K. Raghavan Thirumulpad Foundation (VKRTF) for studies in Ayurveda, in the year 2000. The foundation focuses on imparting informal in-depth studies in ayurveda for those who have completed formal studies.
Thirumulpad had also authored many scholarly works on ayurveda and few works on spiritual topics. Prominent among them are Prakrithichikitsa (1957), a comprehensive treatise on Nature Cure; Sampoorna Arogyasamrakshanam (1989), on health & healthy life style; Ayurvedam-Arogyasastram (1992), an ayurvedic philosophy on health, and Dravyavijnana (1982), on ayurvedic pharmacology.
His poetic skills are manifested through a number of poems that he has written in Malayalam and Sanskrit languages like Raghaveeyam, Kopisamdesah, Putropadesam, and Ayyappastuthi.
V.K.R.T.Foundation celebrated his 90th birthday on May 23, 2010 at Chalakudy as a tribute to his 90 years of service to society. Many important personalities including Dr.Rajan Gurukkal, V.C., M.G.University, Dr.K.G.Poulose, V.C.Kerala Kalamandalam, Dr.C.Ratnakaran, Pro.V.C.Kerala University of Health participated. Releasing of 9 of this books was the highlight of the occasion.
He passed away on November 21, 2010 at the age of 90 at his residence in Chalakudi
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Trichur Dist., Kerala State, India
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