India Digitises Ancient Medical Records for Global Access

New Delhi: The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage has initiated a major digitisation drive to preserve and provide global access to India’s traditional medical knowledge, including rare manuscripts, palm-leaf records and archival material.

The institute has developed the “Showcase of Ayurvedic Historical Imprints” (SAHI) portal under an intramural research project, in collaboration with the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda, to present the history of Ayurveda from prehistoric times to the present.

Officials said the initiative involves cataloguing and digitising over a thousand years of medico-historical records, including rare books and microfilms. The effort is aimed at preserving fragile materials and expanding access for researchers.

Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav said, “India’s medical heritage is not merely a matter of pride, but a living continuum of knowledge that has guided healthcare practices for centuries. The preservation of over 1,000 years of medico-historical manuscripts at the NIIMH is a testament to the depth and scientific rigour of our traditional systems.”

“Through initiatives like SAHI 2.0, we are not only safeguarding this invaluable legacy but also making it accessible to researchers, practitioners and the global community. This effort will strengthen our resolve to integrate time-tested knowledge with modern healthcare for a healthier future,” he added.

Officials said SAHI 2.0 is designed to create a digital ecosystem enabling seamless access to historical texts, research outputs and archival material, with potential to support interdisciplinary research.

Dr Goli Penchala Prasad, assistant director and principal investigator of the project, said, “From a historian’s perspective, the SAHI 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.”

The institute said the digitisation initiative will also enable remote access to bibliographic databases, journals and reference material, strengthening its role as a research hub.