Gajachaya is Official Website of Dr. N.V. Ramachandran Famous Vedic Scholar Nurani Palakkad Kerala India

Born in Nurani Village, Palakkad, Kerala in 1952, Dr. N.V. Ramachandran is an enlightened vedic scholar who has devoted his life in the study, promotion and dissemination of knowledge on Hindu rituals, literature as well as manuscripts, and India rich cultural heritage at large.

After completing his Masters of Arts(M.A) in vedic studies from SV University, Tirupati in the early 1980s, and extensive research for several years, Dr. Ramachandran did a thesis on Vedic Studies (Comparative studies on Hindu Samskaras, covering all 14 different schools in Four Vedas) and was awarded a Doctorate in 2002 by the university of Wisconsin, USA.

Leading a simple yet busy lifestyle, over the years, Dr. Ramachandran has delivered numerous lectures and presented several papers on Vedic studies, manuscriptology, indology and other academic topics at national and international seminars and congregations.

He has served as an honorary convener of the following holy rituals:

1) All India Sarvasakha Veda Sammelan, Palakkad  - 1998 

2) Sampurna Krishna Yajurveda Ghanaparayanam, Palakkad – 2001

3) Krishna Yajurveda Samhitha Homam, Palakkad – 2003

In addition, Dr. Ramachandran has been a keen observer at 69 Somayajnas, Agnistoma, Atyagnistoma, Ukhtya, Sodasi, Vajapeya Atiratra, Paundarika, Gavamayana, Sarvatomukha and many Haviryajnas and has prepared reports on the proceedings of these sacred yajnas in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

As part of his commitment to the devoted seekers of spiritual and cultural wisdom Dr. Ramachandran owns an extensive library with a collection of the following:

1. Five Forty Thousand images of palm leaf, paper manuscripts, paper transcripts, as well as thousands of old printed texts in the Sanskrit and other indian languages. These are available for sale

2. Manuscripts on Vedic, Srauta and Grhya practices, Dharmsastras, Nyaya, Vyakarana, Phonetics, Prathisakhyas, Mimamsa, Cchandas, Nirukta, Jyotisa, Ayurveda, Yoga, Music, Agama, Tantra and other form of Temple rituals.

3. Catalogues of manuscripts of all oriental research institutions in India and abroad.

4. A compilation of over 1200 hours of video and audio recordings of many rare vedic chants, and over 29000 hours of lectures and discourses on Hinduism in the library.

5. A treasure of over 58000 songs of Indian classical music.

Dr. Ramachandran has been working on microfilming (1981) and digitization (1999) of innumerable documents, and for the benefit of institutions and scholars, and has introduced a unique "Print-on-demand" system for obtaining copies of rare Hindu scriptures.

With his incessant enthusiasm about spreading awareness on Vedic  Studies, Dr. Ramachandran has produced 29 documentaries and 8 short films, sponsored by Smithsonian institution, University of Wisconsin, George Washington University, University of Michigan, The American University, Brown University, Brown University in the United States and for a few European Universities.

In recognition of his valuable contribution in the field of manuscripts for microfilming and digitizing, Dr. Ramachandran was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation in 2007 by the University of Leiden, The Netherlands.

As a devout Scholar, he continues to maintain a very active work schedule. He is an advisor to seven Vedic schools in India, and conducts many classes on Indology and classes and also on various old and rare scripts.

He is advisor to 17 Vedic Schools all over India

Dr. Ramachandran presently lives in Nurani Palakkad, Kerala with his wife Rajalakshmi Ramachandran. 

Below is translation of Sainath Menon's Article

Each one us, as Indians, should know about Dr. Nurani Venkiteswaran Ramachandran for his deep scholarship in Sanskrit, Vedas and matters of Srauta and his encyclopedic knowledge of Indian heritage. As a living annalist of Vedic culture, it is Dr Ramachandran whom Vedic scholars from across the globe often consult for elucidation of any ambiguity. He had a close association with Dr. Frits Staal (1932-2012), the famous Indologist, Vedist and philosophical thinker and one who had taken the lead in organizing the Atiratra-yaga in Panjal in 1975. 

Dr. Ramachandran was born in 1952 in a Tamil Brahmin family to Shri N.R.VenkiteswaraIyer and Smt.Meenakshi (Ammal) in the reputed Vedic-village of Nurani in Palakkad. After his school and college education, he completed his Doctorate in the research-study of fourteen Sutras belonging to all four Vedic branches, from the famous University of Wisconsin-Madison in America. He learned his basic lessons on Veda from his grandfather-run Veda Patasala that has produced several Vedic scholars. As a visiting Professor, he often visits universities in Europe for coaching scholars on subjects concerned with Veda, Srauta or Sanskrit. He has the credit of submitting many research papers on these subjects in universities like Banares Hindu University in India and in several universities in Europe. As is the case, some scholars have even plagiarized his papers and published them as their own.

As part of gaining (practical) knowledge in (matters connected with) Srouta, Dr. Ramachandran, from 1984 onwards, has taken part in 69 Yagas and documented them. This includes meticulous and comprehensive video-documentation of four Yaga-events covering each one of their rites and procedures. I doubt if there is anyone else in India other than Dr. Ramachandran who possesses such detailed knowledge of the rites and procedures of Srouta-karmas like Somayaga, Atiratra, Vajpeya and Asvamedha. In fact, many of his videos are used as study material in American and European universities. 

Dr. Ramachandran's accomplished expertise extends to several ancient languages. He can read and interpret 11 ancient languages including Sanskrit, Tamil, Nand-nagari, Kannada, Telugu, Grantha, Deva-nagari, Nagari, Vattezhuthu and Kolezhuthu. He is the India-Director of the Asian Legacy Library (ALL) headquartered in Sedona (Arizona, United States) which is mandated with collection and digitization of priceless treasures of cultural and literary heritage across the globe for posterity. Indeed, it is no surprise that ALL has rightly chosen this highly competent person to entrust responsibility as its Director. 

Under Dr. Ramachandran's stewardship, nearly 50 lakh palm-leaf manuscript-pages have been digitized and stored. He and his team are ready to go and undertake digitization of old manuscripts wherever these are available. Such digitization will be useful for future generations. There may be many houses and institutions where such age-old manuscripts may be lying without anyone being able to read them or understand their contents. Such people and institutions can approach Dr. Ramachandran and his team for their expertise. One can say (without doubt) that the treasure of knowledge (of our heritage) garnered by them in the last 41 years is immense. One only needs to click Google for details. 

Anyone going to the office of Dr. Ramachandran can see pictures of a series of foreign Vedic scholars and Vedic-historians from Heyman Wilson (1786-1860) to Frits Staal (1932-2012). Dr. Ramachandran knows by-heart the field of study and contribution of each one of them. He possesses (a rare) collection of all their writings. During my conversation with him, he underscored the (commitment and) importance displayed by the past and present foreign scholars to the study (and understanding) of our Vedas and Sanskrit. I feel the absence of such an emphasis among scholars in our country.

Dr. Ramachandran quoted several instances of erudition of foreign scholars in our Vedas. He recalled how the well-known Indologist and Finnish Prof. AskoParpola, whom he had once accompanied to Kumbakonam, identifeda person as the performer of a Yaga in the not-too-distant past, from his Kundalam. He also shared with me as to how on another occasion when he was on a visit to the house of Vedic Scholar and Leidon University Prof. Yan Huben, he felt amazed at seeing a model of Yaga-sala and Yaga implements neatly arranged there. He also recollected how he was astonished at the deep understanding of Vedic Professor Frederck M Smith when the latter pointed out on the need for carrying out prayaschitha rite when lightning struck the sky in the course of a Somayaga that he had arranged in his own house at Nurani in 1995. 

Dr. Ramachandran maintains close relationship with several such Vedic exponents and researchers including Sheldon Pollock, Yan Huben, AskoParpola.  He also has close relationship with Mahesh Yogi and with the University named after him in the Netherlands (Maharishi European Research University or MERU) which he frequents for taking classes. Dr. Ramachandran is a member in the Advisory Committees and Syllabus Committees of around 17 Vedic institutions in India. 

Dr. Ramachandran’s proficiency over subjects concerning Veda-Sastra-Srauta-Itihasa-Puranas is the result of his own hard work (and commitment). This should be a matter of pride for all of us. Through his book on "Acchidram & Asvamedham", he has brought out the details of Yagas and (prayachitta) procedures that go with them. The book is available through Amazon. Another publication "Nakshatra-ishti" is on the anvil. Under the facility of PoD (Print on Demand), he and his team enable re-printing of rare-old books, even if the print-order be one copy. A number of people has availed themselves of this facility. Anyone desirous of this service can always approach them.

Dr. Ramachandran, along with his wife Smt. Rajalakshmi, resides at Nurani village in Palakkad. His daughter Meghna is abroad with her family. People like Dr. Ramachandran are the pride not of Palakkad alone, but of our entire heritage.  Knowing such eminent persons is in itself, I consider, a great fortune.