Varma Research Foundation

Varma is a traditional medical system in India, particularly Tamilnadu in southern most part of India. The unique feature of this medical system is the knowledge of vital-points - points where energy is condensed - all over the physique. Diseases and disorders are treated by simply manipulating these vital points, using hands as the primary tool.

It has detailed knowledge of physiology of not-only physical body, but also energetic, mental, emotional, and social bodies of a human being. The biorhythm of each of these bodies seems to have been observed and meticulously documented in this system, unparalleled to any other medical system. The primary purpose of Varma Research Foundation (IVRF) is to scientifically validate and to utilize these knowledge for developing modern healthcare technologies.

Logo: Haptesthai Mens

The word "haptesthai" is a Greek verb "ἅπτεσθαι" meaning to “contact”, “touch”, or "manipulate using hands". Haptics is the equivalent English word derived from this Greek root, meaning a science pertaining to sensing and object manipulation through touch, by humans or machines, in real, virtual, or teleoperated environments. In a teleoperated environments, the ends could be either human or machine, both human, or both machine.

The word "mens" is a Latin word, expressing the idea of "mind" and is the origin of English words like mental, remember, mania, and dementia. In Roman mythology, Mens, also known as Bona Mens or Mens Bona (Latin for "Good Mind"), was the personification of thought, consciousness and the mind, and also of "right-thinking".

The Greek and the Latin words together "Haptesthai Mens" means "to touch and manipulate the mind, the right-mind, or consciousness".

Motto: Healthcare Through Haptics

Healthcare means prevention and treatment of dis-ease of all the five bodies of a human being: physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and social body. Haptics, as exaplined earlier, means sensing and manipulation through hands. The meaning of the motto is therefore to healthcare through touch and manipulation using hands. Even the diagnosis is through the sense of touch and manipulation through hands, for example pulse diagnosis is feeling and manipulation through fingers.

Objectives:

The primary objective of IVRF is to reduce the heatlhcare cost in India. The objectives of IVRF are fourfold:

Scientific Research:
- Validating scientifically each of the claims of Varma system
- Elucidating and Understanding the fundamentals of Varma system
- Designing and developing biomedical instruments for Varma system
- Developing engineering, mathematical, physical, and technological principles of Varma system, specifically Biomechanics aspects of Varma Orthopaedics
- Charting Varma anotomy and physiology, which is different from other existing knowledge of physiology
Literary:
- Collecting Varma literature and collating them
- Publishing rare texts and research articles in Varma system
Experts:
- Bringing the Varma experts under one umbrella for collective and effective contributions to society
- Sharing Varma Knowledge among the experts
Awareness:
- Popularizing and creating awareness of Varma technology
- Organizing free Varma health camps
- Introducing the practice of Varma in Indian Military, Police Services, and Public emergency Services.
- Introducing and training simple Varma techniques in schools and colleges for First-Aid
- Encouraging Varma Entreprenurship

Events:

VNBCD 2010 Naadi Tutor : One day National workshop on "Varma Naadi Based Clinical Diagnosis" Dec 2010" [here].
VNBCD 2012 Naadi Atlas : Two day National workshop on "Dasa Naadi: Clinical and Scientific Exploration" on July 26 and 27, 2012" [here].
Olai Server Olai Scans of Rare Naadi Literature

Office: IVRF, MSB 207A, Touchlab, Biomedical Engineering Group, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, Chennai-36 PIN:600036. INDIA. Ph:+91-44-2257-4064/5054/5052. FAX: +91-44-2257-4052. Email: ivrf@iitm.ac.in. How to locate IVRF, here is the IIT Madras Campus map.