Panniyampally Krishnankuty Warrier was born on 5 June 1921 in Kottakkal, Malabar District. His parents were Thalappanna Sreedharan Namboothiri and Panniyampally Kunchi Varasyar. He was the youngest of their six children. He had his education from Raja's High School, Kottakkal and Zamorin's High School at Kozhikode. He studied Ayurveda in Arya Vaidya Pathasala (now called Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier Ayurveda College). He married Late Madhavikutty K. Varier, a poet and a Kathakali writer. He was Managing Trustee of the Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS) in Kottakkal and was also AVS's Chief Physician.[4]
His writings, speeches and research papers have been compiled under the title Padamudrakal. He established a research laboratory for the identification of medicinal plants and to ascertain the chemical identity of their pharmaceutical constituents which grew into the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research.[5]
He turned 100 in 2021.[6] His 100th birthday was celebrated despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A month later, on 10 July 2021, he died at his home in Kottakkal from COVID-19.[7][8][9] His body was cremated at the premises of his home on the same day. He is survived by two of his three children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife and one son predeceased him.
Writings
He wrote and published several research papers in ethnopharmacology and Ayurveda and co-authored the five volume treatise Indian Medicinal Plants – A Compendium of 500 Species.[10]
