Who was PK Warrier?

Dr PK Warrier died at his residence in Kottakkal in Malappuram district on Saturday, PTI reports. The flagbearer of Ayurveda medicine in India, he was also the managing trustee of the Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala. Warrier had celebrated his 100th birthday last month. 

He was honoured with Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2010.  He was a freedom fighter, who gave Ayurveda a new face.

In 2009, his book ‘Smrithiparvam’ won the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for the best autobiography. He was also the president of the All India Ayurvedic Congress. As chief physician of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, Dr Warrier treated a long array of VVIPs in the country, including Presidents and Prime Ministers.

Calicut University honoured him with a DLitt in 1999 and Dr Warrier had many honorific degrees in his credit, including a Doctor of Medicine award from the University of Copenhagen.

Survived by his son Balachandra Warrier and his daughter Subhadra Ramachandran, his wife Madhavikutty and son Vijayan Warrier died a few years ago.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly MB Rajesh condoled the death of the “patriarch” of Ayurvedic medicine.

The Governor said: “As a physician, he was committed to the scientific pursuit of Ayurveda. He will be remembered for his matchless contribution to the modernisation of Ayurveda. As a humanist, he envisioned a life of good health and dignity for everyone in society.”

“The demise of Dr Warrier is a great loss for medical sciences. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the Arya Vaidya Sala fraternity. May his soul attain Mukti”, the Governor added.

Kerala CM said that Dr Warrier was instrumental in leading Ayurveda to global fame and it was due to his efforts that this field of medicine has gained international acceptance today.

“He was the patriarch of Ayurveda in Kerala,” the chief minister said.

Health Minister Veena George, in her message, said, “We have lost the patriarch of Ayurveda”.

BJP state president K Surendran also offered condolences on the death of Warrier.

“PK Warrier was a person who made his mark in the healthcare sector,” he said.

A prominent physician, Dr Warrier’s birth centenary celebrations were held on June 8.

Born to Sreedharan Namboodiri and Panniyampilly Kunhi Warrisyar on June 5, 1921, Panniyampilly Krishnankutty Warrier (PK Warrier) did his schooling in Kottakkal and joined KAS at the age of 20.

He was fascinated with the freedom struggle during the Quit India movement and abandoned Ayurveda studies under the tutelage of his uncle and founder of KAS Vaidyaratnam PS Warrier.

He, however, returned to studies shortly after. Warrier had steered the 119-year old charitable trust managing the KAS for over six decades and made it an internationally reputed and all-under-one-umbrella ayurvedic institution.