The Living Legacy
of Ayurveda at BHU: From Shushruta’s Varanasi to Modern Integration
Prof Yamini Bhusan
Tripathi
Former Dean,
Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi-221005, India, yamini@bhu.ac.in
As I look back on my journey at
the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS, BHU) since 1981 as a demonstrator of
Biochemistry in the department of Medicinal Chemistry till my superannuation in
2022, and specifically during my tenure as Dean (2017-20), I am often struck by
how the ancient echoes of Shushruta still resonate within our modern
laboratories. This is not just a history of an institution; it is a chronicle
of a vision to prove that Ayurveda is a living, breathing science. I wrote this
piece to capture how we have transitioned from traditional roots to becoming a
global hub for integrated medicine.
The history of medical education
in Varanasi, the oldest living city in the World and the cultural capital of
India, is at least 2500 years old. It was here that the great Indian Surgeon
Sushruta lived and practised medicine and surgery around the 5th century B.C.
and also compiled his treatise, the Sushruta Samhita.
Educational: The Banaras Hindu University, after its establishment in
1916, initiated the education of Ayurveda in 1920. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya,
the illustrious founder of Banaras Hindu University, had the vision of
integrating the best of Ayurvedic and modern systems of medicine and initiated
the degree of Ayurvedacharya in 1922 as a department in the Faculty of Oriental
Learning and Theology. Soon thereafter, in 1927, a separate Ayurvedic College
was established, offering integrative training as a six-year course, “Ayurvedacharya
with Medicine and Surgery” (AMS). Later, this course was changed to ABMS in
1948.
In 1959, this UG course was
suspended to provide more emphasis on post-graduate education and research. The
Ayurvedic college was converted into the College of Medical Sciences in 1960
under the leadership of Prof. K. N. Udupa at its helm as founder principal. In
1963, the Post-Graduate Institute of Indian Medicine (PGIM) was established in
1948 as an integral part of the College of Medical Sciences. The postgraduate
courses in various Ayurvedic specialities were started under this institution.
In 1971, the College of Medical Sciences was upgraded to the Institute of
Medical Sciences. In 1978, the existing Faculty was bifurcated into the Faculty
of Ayurveda and the Faculty of Medicine. In 1999, the BAMS UG course was restarted,
as per the recommendations of the Central Council of Indian Medicine. Six new
departments were created in the year 2006, making a total of 14 departments and
15 degree giving specialties in the faculty.
USP of IMS, BHU: This is the only place in the world where faculties of
Ayurveda, Modern Medicine and Dental Sciences are under the Institute of
Medical Sciences (IMS). The IMS gives a unique opportunity for collaborative
research not only with modern medicine but also with other Department Institute
of Sciences, Agriculture & Technology. We have 2000 beds SS Hospital,
including 256 beds for Ayurveda. Now, IMS is being upgraded to AIIMS like
facility since August 2018.
Faculty research and teaching:
The Faculty of Ayurveda is known for the
integration of ancient Indian Medical knowledge and modern medical sciences. The
integration of knowledge of Ayurveda and Modern Medicine is a continuous
process resulting in interdisciplinary research, education and patient care. At
this institute. The faculty is situated in proximity to other Faculties such as
Humanities, Social Sciences, and institutes of Technology and Agricultural
Sciences. This has also greatly helped in the development of collaborative
research. This is the USP of this organisation.
Besides the PhD program at
present our faculty runs 60 UG seats, 39 PG seats in Ayurveda. The faculty also
runs special courses in Ayurveda with 30 seats B. Pharma (Ay) and 30 seats 30
seats BNYS at Barkachcha. Besides, several diploma and certificate courses are
being run by different departments.
The faculty has Advance Centre
of Kshara Sutra and gives its services at the international level. This
is the only Ayurveda institute in the country which has a separate science
department of Medicinal Chemistry with a Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and
Pharmacology. This department is devoted to basic research for scientific
validation of the fundamentals of Ayurveda, new drug development and standardisation
of traditional Ayurvedic products. The Ayurvedic Faculty was innovative since its
beginning and for the first time in the history of BHU, transferred the
technology for making a herbal drug for peptic ulcer to a pharmaceutical
company and one time royalty of Rs. 10,000/- in 1965. This product was
developed by late Prof SN Tripathi and transferred to accompany for marketing in
the name “Prepeptone”.
Later, teachers and researchers
of the faculty developed several other products and edited several books and
monographs. In the year 2000, Prof Yamini Bhusan Tripathi developed a new
product to manage atherosclerosis, with the help of dept of Biotechnology, GoI,
named BHUx, which was patented in the USA, EU, China and India. All faculties
are involved in validating the basic concepts of Ayurveda with contemporary science,
resulting in several other products and publications, which are in the process
of patenting. The faculty was running a WHO collaborating centre, and later
initiated two courses for international students. These are two months
certificate course and one year diploma course.
Dissemination of Ayurvedic
Sciences: Faculty organised several international
conferences, workshops and training programs from time to time with the
objective to propagate the science-supported Ayurvedic knowledge across the
world. The 2nd World Congress on Ayga and Ayurveda was organized
1987 in the leadership of late Prof KN Udupa and late Prof SN Tripathi. The 3rd
Congress of this series was organised in 2020, under my supervision.
The faculty has signed several
MoUs in the field of Telemedicine, Tele-education and skill development.
Besides the exchange of teachers and scientist several international MoUs have
also been signed. The faculty runs a Wellness centre to check the health of
healthy people and to bring awareness about changed behaviours, food habits
& lifestyle to prevent chronic disease. At present, there are more than 700
students and 71 teachers in the faculty. The faculty has seventeen departments,
six smart lecture theatres, one library with internet facility and 1000 traditional
books in the library. Our students and teachers are continuously involved in an
outreach programme. e.g. ongoing health camps in villages, cities exhibitions,
schools visit, health programme to the tribal belt of neighbouring districts.
Ayurvedic Pharmacy and Dispensary: The faculty has an Ayurvedic Pharma, which
makes more than 200 herbal products & Rasa Ausadhies. It was established in
1923-24 and upgraded from time to time. After the upgradation of the medical
college to the Institute of Medical Sciences in 1971, Prof SN Tripathi served as
the Superintendent of this unit for the longest time (1974 to 1991). He was
able to shift it to a new Building and to introduce several tools and
techniques of modern Pharmacy. Its main objective was to cater for the
needs of O.P.D. and I.P.D. patients with quality medicines. A hospital site
pharmacy and dispensary is working at S. S. Hospital.
Medicinal Plant Garden: Ayurvedic
garden is attached to Dept. of Dravyaguna. It has wide collection
of medicinal plants. It is also supported by a museum to show those plants
which are not available in the garden. An independent classical medicinal
plants garden, having 200 medicinal plant species grown in it, is attached to
the Department of Dravyaguna. Most of the plants are procured from various
parts of our country.
Museums: The department of Rasa-Shastra, Dravyaguna, Vikriti Vigyan,
& Agad Tantra have their departmental museums a raw drug museum for
minerals and metals is separately established. The department of Dravyaguna has
a herbarium and crude drug museum, which consists of more than 450 herbarium
specimens.
Library Our Faculty library,
“Prof. K N Udupa Library,” is in addition to the main IMS library, has more
than 5,000 books of Modern Medicine and Ayurveda present in these 2 libraries. Both
the libraries have all the prescribed course books, various journals, theses
and valuable manuscripts.
Hostel; Separate residential accommodations for boys and girls
are available in Nagarjun Doctors' Hostel, Sukanya Hostel, Atreya Punarvasu
Hostel and K. G. Hostel.
Reflecting on my years in the
Dean’s office, my proudest moments weren't just the administrative milestones
but seeing a student bridge the gap between a Sanskrit shloka and a modern
biochemical pathway. Our work with BHUx and the technology transfers proved
that Ayurvedic wisdom can meet the highest international standards. As IMS
continues its journey toward becoming an AIIMS-like facility, I remain
convinced that the integration of these two worlds is the only path to holistic
global health.
(This was written in 2020 as personal communication)
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