About S.A.H.I
The history of medicine from a historical perspective gives us a broad picture of civilisation in terms of how our ancestors dealt with health and disease and what thoughts guided their actions. From the medical point of view, it permits us to understand healthcare situations from antiquity till date more lucidly and to apply the knowledge in present situations more intelligently. It is well known that the success or failure of medical work depends not only on scientific knowledge but also on a great variety of other non-medical factors like economic, social, religious, philosophical, and political aspects that are the result of historical developments. India is branded as the mother of all civilisations in the world, considering the contributions made by the inhabitants of the land to all branches of knowledge, from science and technology to art, literature and culture. Ayurveda is considered the Indian Knowledge System of medicine, which catered to the medical needs of people of the sub-continent for ages. Understanding the evolution of Ayurveda from pre-Vedic times to the present day is not only essential in exploring its scientific basis but also in re-establishing its lost legacy as a mainstream medical system that existed in this part of the world. Understanding the economic, social, religious, philosophical, and political conditions of ancient India, along with which Ayurveda developed, will also facilitate the reconstruction of the crux of all Indian scientific and technological developments from remote antiquity. Hence, a glimpse back into the history of Ayurveda is essential for developing it as a mainstream healthcare system.
Showcase of Ayurvedic Historical Imprints (SAHI) portal is designed and developed as part of the Intramural Research project of the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, Hyderabad, under the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda, New Delhi, - SHOWCASE OF AYURVEDIC HISTORICAL IMPRINTS (S.A.H.I.) THROUGH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE EVIDENCE- to present the history of Ayurveda, from the Pre-historic period to current times. Thus, from a historian’s perspective, the S.A.H.I. project is an attempt to investigate and present the medical heritage of Ayurveda dispassionately and critically to reconstruct and envisage the medical past of India, in relation to and as part of the general civilisation of the various periods. Further, the portal will also map and showcase the dynamic interactions Indian medicine had with the rest of the world from the remote period to date.
While narrating the history of Ayurveda, a lot of work has been done by interpreting the textual resources of Indian medical literature. Very little is narrated based on other primary sources of evidence like Archaeological findings. The S.A.H.I. portal is an attempt to bridge this gap and present the historical imprints of Ayurveda through tangible archaeological and other intangible resources in a lucid manner.
Dr. Goli Penchala Prasad,
Assistant Director (I/c),
Principal Investigator,
S.A.H.I. Project,
NIIMH, Hyderabad
SCOPE OF WORK
SHOWCASE OF AYURVEDIC HISTORICAL IMPRINTS (S.A.H.I.) THROUGH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE EVIDENCE
Objectives:
To collect and thematically present a virtual collection of validated primary evidence of Ayurvedic practices from antiquity.
I. Archaeological viz., a. Pre-Historical and Historical Archaeological sites, Sculptures depicting medical/surgical practice and Inscriptional evidence.
II. Collection of artefacts (Surgical Instruments, Manufacture of Medicine, Preparation of Food, Hospital Set up etc.,) & Archaeo-botanical Information of subsistence.
III. Textural Sources viz., Classical Ayurvedic literature and comparative studies with other contemporary resources.
IV. Archaeo-genetics and other contemporary inter-disciplinary developments.
Milestones:
1. 51 Artefacts and medical inscriptions were uploaded to the S.A.H.I. portal before May 2022.
2. 945 Medical Inscriptions were uploaded till 28th February 2025.
3. Archived the data related to Prasada from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Inscriptions (6 volumes), including 932 inscriptions, from August to December 2022. Of these, 516 inscriptions related to Prasada were finalized and uploaded between August 2023 and October 2024.
4. The SAHI team physically collected 83 original inscription images from 53 places as part of 14 tours till February 2025: The team visited places such as Saidapur Village, Panagallu Village, Hampi and Jonagiri Village, Vavilkole Village, Panagallu Archaeology Museum, Koturpally, Sriranganathaswamy temple, Kottai Muniyappan temple, Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Thirukoyil, Machapureeshwarar temple, Brihadeeshwara temple, Airavateswara temple, Saraswathi Mahal Library, Sivayoginathar temple, Thirukoteeswara temple, Agniswara temple, Gomukteeswara temple, Veezhinathar temple, Vaitheeswaran temple, Thillai Natarajar temple, Ruthrakotiswara temple, Government Museum-Chennai, Dhauli Caves, Ganeshgumpa Cave, Anantavasudeva Temple, Odisha State Museum, Yellaturu, Pottapi, Bukkayapalli, Obalam, Shravanabelagola Chandragiri, ASI Mysore Circle, Shravanabelagola Vindhyagiri, Yoga Narasimha Temple, . Nageshwara, Chennakeshava temple, Maleyuru, Ajanta Caves, Pitalkhora Caves, Pandav Leni Caves, Kumrahar, Nalanda Mahavihara, Rajahir Hills, Vishnupada temple, Krishna Dwarika Temple and Akshaya vata Temple, Yanaimalai hill, Thirupparankundram Rock-cut cave temple, Sri Meenakshi temple and Chokkanadhar temple, Sri Haratheertheeswarar Temple, Kulatthur Shivan Temple, Agatheeswarar temple Kanniyakumari and gathered information about these temple inscriptions and collected photographs of inscriptions, etc.
5. A three-day expert meeting was organised from 17th to 19th March 2023 under the project for vetting the collected data as proposed in the scheme. Vetting of data for publication of 72 inscriptions was done during the three-day expert meeting in March 2023. Editing of the same is under progress. During the three-day expert meeting, vetting of the collected data was done for 72 medical inscriptions from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other states like Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, across India.
6. An 18-minute video was prepared, covering all aspects of the SAHI project work carried out from May 2022 to November 2024.
7. A PowerPoint presentation on the SAHI Project was prepared, covering all major aspects of the project work carried out from May 2022 to January 2025. The PPT is intended for Recording an Elective Lecture for Ayush Practitioners who are registered with NCISM. The lecture was recorded by Dr. Goli Penchala Prasad (Assistant Director - In charge) on 19th February 2025 at BISAG-N Studio, Electronic Niketan, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
8. SAHI Website is under development. Medical artefacts and information are being collected as per the objectives and targets. Editing of data for the publication of medical inscriptions is in progress.
VISION
The project SHOWCASE OF AYURVEDIC HISTORICAL IMPRINTS (S.A.H.I.) THROUGH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE EVIDENCE envisions generating a validated collection of irrefutable sources of evidence to convince the scientific community, policymakers, historians, and other stakeholders regarding the antiquity, authenticity, and continuity of Ayurvedic practices in the Indian subcontinent and their spread across other parts of the globe.
MISSION
Our mission is to bring to light India's medical heritage by exploring primary and supportive evidence of Indian medical history, particularly Ayurveda. This includes epigraphic sources such as stone inscriptions, copper plate charters, and other archaeological artefacts related to medical practices. The main objective of the S.A.H.I portal is to uncover previously unknown evidence of Ayurvedic practices from antiquity through both tangible and intangible sources. The portal presents the history of Ayurveda in an accessible and engaging manner, highlighting the evolution of this medical system within the broader context of India's historical periods.
FOREWORD
The medical heritage of our country lives within us as a part of our lifestyle, cuisine and traditional medical knowledge. It has survived the tests of time, despite the countless invasions and colonial rule. It is a source of inspiration to us and great pride to every citizen. Revival of our medical heritage can give an impetus to the efforts of Govt. of India to mainstream the Ayush systems for community health. The efforts of the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, C.C.R.A.S., Hyderabad, through the S.A.H.I project is laudable in this regard and deserves attention from the medical community.
Sd/-
Vd Prof Rabinarayan Acharya,
Director General, C.C.R.A.S, New Delhi.
PREFACE
I am glad that the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, C.C.R.A.S., Hyderabad, has attempted to recapitulate the history of Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine. There is extensive evidence of India’s rich medical history in the form of literature. Still, Archaeological evidence in the form of epigraphs and other primary sources of evidence is an untouched area. The S.A.H.I project is an excellent attempt to bring to light the history of Ayurveda in the most exciting way. I am happy that the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, C.C.R.A.S., Hyderabad, has continued with its legacy of being a forerunner in the realm of recording medical history. It will not only help the historians and medical fraternity but also the general public to understand the evolution of medicine and the role of Ayurveda in the preservation of the health of the people in ancient and medieval India, and to look back at the country’s rich heritage with pride. I hope reviving the strong roots of Ayurveda will help the Ayurvedic fraternity to acquire the deserving status in community health of the country and commit themselves to the service of the ailing and the general public at large. I congratulate the Principal Investigator, and the team involved in the development and progression of the project and its website.
Sd/-
Dr. N Srikant,
Deputy Director General,
C.C.R.A.S, New Delhi.
Salient Features of S.A.H.I
SAHI is a virtual collection of validated primary pieces of evidence of Ayurvedic practice from antiquity till date:
A. Archaeological Evidence
- Pre-Historical and Historical Archaeological sites
- Sculptures depicting medical/surgical practice
- Inscriptional evidence
- Collection of artefacts (Surgical Instruments, Manufacture of Medicine, Preparation of Food, Hospital Set up etc.)
- Archaeo-botanical Information on subsistence
B. Philological Sources
- Classical Ayurvedic literature and comparative studies with other contemporary resources.
C. Archaeogenetics and other contemporary inter-disciplinary developments
SERVICES PROVIDED
The S.A.H.I project maintains the web portal S.A.H.I portal for showcasing the historical imprints of Ayurveda for the knowledge of historians, researchers, students of medicine & history, school & college students, foreigners, all other stakeholders and policymakers in the government sector & tourism sector and the public.
• The data uploaded in the portal is easily accessible and retrievable, which makes it more attractive and usable for the public.
• The portal is updated every month upon obtaining new data.
• The portal exhibits the dashboard, details of the primary and supportive evidence of medical history, details of medical data, photographs of the artefacts, tours undertaken, references, search options, contact details, etc.
• The links to the other websites of the NIIMH, Hyderabad, are also provided for the knowledge of the online visitors and for promoting tourism to heritage sites.
S.A.H.I Project Team
Principal Investigator:
• Dr. Goli Penchala Prasad, Assistant Director (I/c), NIIMH, Hyderabad
Co-Investigators:
• Dr. T. Saketh Ram, Research Officer (Ayurveda), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Dr. Ramesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Kayachikitisa, Govt. Ayurveda College, Mysuru, Karnataka
• Dr. Chris Antony, Research Officer (Ayurveda), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Shri. Murali Manohar Assistant Research Officer (Curator)
Team Members:
• Dr. Vijayalakshmi Veerabadhran, Senior Research Fellow (Ayurveda), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Dr. Smruthi Kalyanaraman, Senior Research Fellow (Ayurveda), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Kumari. B. Rajeshwari, Junior Research Fellow (Archaeology), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Dr. P. Deepika Senior Research Fellow (Ayurveda), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Dr. K. Chandrika Senior Research Fellow (Ayurveda), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Shri. O. Venkatesh Junior Research Fellow (Archaeology), SAHI Project, NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Dr Abhinaya, Consultant (Siddha), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Shri. P Vijay Kumar, Consultant (IT), NIIMH, Hyderabad
• Shri. B Umesh, Office Assistant, SAHI Project, NIIMH, Hyderabad
Tours undertaken by the S.A.H.I Team
SAHI Tour List till January 2025
Summary
| Number of Tours | Number of Places Visited | Number of Artifacts/Inscriptions collected |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 54 | 83 |
Details of the Tour
| Sl No | Date | Tour | Places | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18-08-2022 | Telangana | 1. Saidapur | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri Ramesh Kumar, RO Shri P Murali Manohar, ARO Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri G Madhusudan Reddy, Staff Car Driver Shri R Srinivas Rao, MTS |
| 2 | 22-08-2022 | Telangana | 2. Panagallu, Nalgonda Dist. | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri Ramesh Kumar, RO Shri P Murali Manohar, ARO Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri G Madhusudan Reddy, Staff Car Driver |
| 3 | 14-09-2022 to 16-09-2022 | Karnataka | 3. Hampi | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri Ramesh Kumar, RO Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri G Madhusudan Reddy, Staff Car Driver |
| 4 | 29-12-2022 to 30-12-2022 | Andhra Pradesh | 4. Yerragudi (Jonnalagiri) | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri K Srinivasa Rao, LIA Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri G Madhusudan Reddy, Staff Car Driver |
| 5 | 21-04-2023 | Telangana | 5. Vavikole | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri P Murali Manohar, ARO Shri Srinivasa Rao, LIA Ms B Rajeshwari, JRF Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri B Dhanraj, MTS |
| 6 | 15-06-2023 | Telangana | 6. Panugallu | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Dr B Vijayalakshmi, SRF Shri P Murali Manohar, ARO B Rajeshwari, JRF Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri G Madhusudan Reddy, Staff Car Driver Shri Srinivasa Rao, MTS |
| 7 | 20-06-2023 to 21-06-2023 | Andhra Pradesh | 7. Kotturpalli | Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri K Srinivasa Rao, LIA Shri Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri Madhusudan Reddy, Driver Shri Srinivasa Rao, MTA |
| 8 | 12-07-2023 to 18-07-2023 | Tamil Nadu |
8. Srirangam Temple, 9. Kottai Muniyappan Temple, 10.Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Thirukoyil, 11. Machapureeshwarar Temple, 12. Brihadeeshwara Temple, 13. Airavateswara Temple, 14. Saraswathi Mahal Library, 15. Sivayoginathar Temple, 16. Thirukoteeswara Temple, 17. Agniswara Temple, 18. Gomukteeswara Temple, 19. Veezhinathar Temple, 20. Vaitheeswaran Temple, 21. Thillai Natarajar Temple, 22. Ruthrakotiswara Temple, 23. Government Museum, Chennai. |
Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri Ravi Babu, Photographer Dr B Vijayalakshmi, SRF Ms B Rajeshwari, JRF |
| 9 | 11-09-2023 to 12-09-2023 | Odisha |
24. Odisha State Museum, 25. Ganesagumpha Cave, 26. Dhauli Cave, 27. Ananta Vasudeva Temple |
Shri G Ravi Babu, Photographer Dr Vijayalakshmi Veerabadhran, SRF Ms B Rajeshwari, JRF |
| 10 | 17-09-2023 | Andhra Pradesh |
28. Pottapi, 29. Obalam, 30. Bukkayapalli, 31. Yellaturu |
Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri K Srinivasa Rao, LIA Shri Ravi Babu, Photographer Shri G Madhusudan Reddy, Staff Car Driver |
| 11 | 05-10-2023 to 07-10-2023 | Karnataka |
32. Shravanabelagola Chandragiri, 33. ASI Mysore Circle, 34. Shravanabelagola Vindhyagiri, 35. Yoga Narasimha Temple, 36. Nageshwara and Chennakeshava Temple, 37. Maleyuru |
Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge Shri K Srinivas Rao, LIA Shri Ravi Babu, Photographer |
| 12 | 29-09-2024 to 02-10-2024 | Maharashtra |
38. Ajanta Caves, 39. Pithalcora Caves, 40. Nasik Caves |
Dr Smruthi, SRF Ms Rajeshwari B, JRF |
| 13 | 25-11-2024 to 28-11-2024 | Bihar |
41. Kumrahar 42. Nalanda Mahavihara 43. Rajahir Hills 44. Vishnupada temple, 45. Krishna Dwarika Temple, 46. Akshaya vata Temple |
Dr G P Prasad, Asst. Director In Charge |
| 14 | 17-01-2024 to 21-01-2025 | Tamil Nadu |
47. Yanaimalai hill, 48. Thirupparankundram 49. Rock-cut cave temple, 50. Sri Meenakshi temple and 51. Chokkanadhar temple, 52. Sri Haratheertheeswarar Temple, 53. Kulatthur Shivan Temple, 54. Agatheeswarar temple Kanniyakumari |
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Veerabadhran Ms Rajeshwari. B, JRF |
FAQ’s
FAQ details here.