Konkani trio - Appu Bhat, Ranga Bhat and Vinayak Pandit - who played a major role in the compilation of 17th century epic medicinal treatise on medicinal plants of Malabar, Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, will be remembered by setting up a memorial in the Konkani heritage zone of Cherlai. A decision in this regard was taken at the core committee constituted by different Konkani organisations who met here recently under the aegis of Anugraha Charitable Trust.
The three Ayurvedic physicians had enumerated their role in the compilation of the 12 volume book compiled in 1678, an initiative carried under Henric Vaan Rheede, the then Dutch Governor, in their mother tongue, Konkani. The compilation was first published in Latin at Amsterdam on copper plates and is also credited for the first block printed material in Konkani (Devanagari script) and also in Malayalam.
To bring to fore their role, a national seminar was held jointly by Anugraha Charitable Trust, Goa Konkani Academy, World Konkani Centre, Mangalore and Department of Archives and Archeology, Goa Government at Panaji. The seminar urged the governments of Goa and Kerala to recognise their contribution.
“It is a long standing aspiration of Konkani community to bring recognition to the trio,” said R Bhaskar Shenoi, president, Anugraha Charitable Trust. The meeting was attended by R Venkateswara Pai, bharanadhikari, Kochi Thirumala Devaswom, J Radhakrishna Naick, president, Ananthanarayanapuram Temple, Alappuzha, G Jayakumar Prabhu, president, Azheekal Sree Vahara Devaswom, Cherai, V Damodara Prabhu, president, Samyukta GSB Mahasabha Kochi, R Gopinatha Naick, secretary, Dr Padiar Memorial Homeopathic Medical College Chottanikkara, N M Pai, convener, Anugraha Education Board, Shivakumar Kamath, secretary, Gowdasaraswath Youth Association, Kochi.