Ancient Ayurvedic Hospital at Thirumukkudal, near Kanchipuram

A tiny village in kancheepuram district, situated 75km from Chennai. The place derives the name due to the meeting of three rivers –Palar,Vegavati and Cheyyar. According to the epigraphs in this shrine, Tirumukkudal was situated in the ancient territorial sub-division called Madhurantaka-Chaturvedimangalam which was a part of Kalatur-kottam, a district of Jayamkonda-chola-mandalam. Luckily, this shrine as well as the inscriptions here have been preserved well. The temple is a protected monument under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India.  
The walls of the main sanctum as well as those of the second prakara are studded with numerous epigraphs in the ancient Tamil script, the oldest of which is datable to the reign of the Pallava ruler, Nripatungavarman of the 9th century A.D. There are also many Chola inscriptions of the reign of Rajaraja-I, Rajendra-I, Vira-Rajendra and Kulottunga-I.
Among these records, the most important and interesting one is engraved on the east wall of the first prakara and belongs to the period of Vira-Rajendra Chola (1062-1070 A.D.). This long epigraph records the existence of a Vedic college located in the Jananatha-mantapa inside this temple in the 11th century A.D. where eight subjects including the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and grammar were taught. The number of students enrolled in this educational centre, the number of teachers for each subject and the daily remuneration paid have been detailed in this inscription.
This well-preserved record also mentions that these students lived in a hostel attached to this college where cooks and servants were employed to take care of the needs of the inmates. In addition, this inscription speaks about a hospital (athura-salai) attached to this temple where students and temple staff were treated. This hospital, called Vira-Cholan, had 15 beds and a large staff comprising a physician named Kodandaraman Ashvathaman-Bhattan, a surgeon who performed operations, many nurses who attended on the patients, servants who fetched medicinal herbs and also a barber. The payment given to the hospital staff and the names of about 20 Ayurvedic medicines stored in this hospital are given in detail in this informative epigraph.

This full-fledged hospital at Thirumukkoodal, while essentially Ayurvedic, falls into the category of the Siddha system of medicine adopted by the Tamils.

Thanks to these ancient epigraphs, Thirumukkoodal Temple is considered a monument of national importance, these being the longest Chola inscriptions on record. More than a thousand years old, they represent some of the earliest known definitions for "doctor" and "nurse" on record.

This temple which once reverberated with the sound of Vedic chanting and the recitation of Sanskrit texts now stands a mute testimony to the glorious times of the Pallavas and the Cholas, whose kings, besides being great conquerors and administrators strove for the propagation of learning and literature.

Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chennai Circle, has set up a medicinal plant garden in this temple to commemorate 150 years of ASI. Saplings of 20 medicinal plants were planted in the garden which was inaugurated by the Superintending Archaeologist, Chennai Circle, Sathyabhama Badrinath.

Reference:

1. The Hindu, Feb 04, 2005 & May 19, 2012

2. S. Gurumurthy. Medical sciences and dispensaries in ancient south india as gleaned from epigraphy. Indian J Hist Sci. 1970 May;5:76-9.(www.new.dli.ernet.in/rawdataupload/upload/...1/20005b64_76.pdf)



Venkatesaperumal Temple



Inscription in the Prahara







Inscriptions in the Prahara