Royal family to fund Ayurveda digital library

Bengaluru: Soon, the state will get a digital library with a collection of 8,000 books and 8,000 journals related to Ayurveda. On February 19, the Royal Family of Mysore (RFM) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Trans-disciplinary University (TDU), Bengaluru, to establish 'Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar Indian Medical Heritage Library'.
The royal family will provide financial support every year to this library. Apart from students of TDU, the library can be accessed by public who are interested in learning the traditional Indian medical system. Public will have to pay a nominal fee for membership.
The library, to be built in an area of 6,000 square feet, will have books in south Indian languages, English and Sanskrit. More than 2,000 manuscripts which have been translated into English and Kannada will also be available. Pramoda Devi, wife of late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, and heir-apparent Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs will inaugurate the library.
Darshan Shankar, vice-chancellor of TDU, told TOI that the royal family will announce funds at the inaugural. "They will also support in expanding the facilities. We approached Maharani Pramoda Devi six months ago and she readily agreed to sign the MoU," he added.
A university official said the books and journals available in the library will prove how researchers have bridged the gap between Ayurveda and shastra and help change the perception that there's lack of evidence about Indian traditional medicines.
TDU, founded by entrepreneur Sam Pitroda, is funded by Tata Foundation.