BRIEF INTRODUCTION:

Regional Ayurveda Research Institute (R.A.R.I.) is a premier Institute of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (C.C.R.A.S.) under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, for research on medicinal plants of North- West Himalayan region of India. The Institute was set up as a grant-in-aid amalgamated unit for survey of medicinal plant of the Himalayan region of the Uttar Pradesh on 10.07.1964. The institute was further taken over by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences. Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India on 01.07.1972.

The total land of the premises is 0.602 hectare and situated in between 29036.877’ N and 790 -24.277’ E at an elevation of 5506 feet. The Institute has its own excellent building with the total built-up area of the Institute building is 2560.17 Sq. meter. The institute has a well-developed herbarium and museum with Acronym “RKT”. The institute has two medicinal plant gardens at Ranikhet & Chamba (Tehri Garhwal) having area of 1.214-hectare, 0.405 hectare respectively, and a Musk deer Research Centre at Mehroori, Bageshwar having 0.809 hectare. Presently 17 permanent officers/officials are working at different positions in this Institute. An Ayurvedic out-patient hospital has also been started by the institute from 5th May 2015 for the benefit of the health of the regional people. The institute has been certified by NABH as Ayush entry level centre for Ayurveda Services on 05.01.2023. Institute has received licence by Bureau of Indian Standard for Quality management system on 03.09.2025

Mandate

i. Medico – Ethno-Botanical Survey of Sub Himalayan areas.

ii. Healthcare services through Out Patient Department (OPD) & Panchakarma.

iii Demonstrative Medicinal Plants Garden

iv. Musk Deer Breeding  

New Initiatives

i. Institute provides facilities for identification of plants and certifies authenticity.

ii. Institute provides facility for Ph.D work in Botany stream in collaboration with Kumaon University, Nainital.  

iii. Clinical research in the field of Ayurveda in general Panchakarma in particular.

Activities

  • Health care services through Out-Patient Department (OPD)
  • Special facility for Panchakarma.
  • Special Clinic for Geriatric Health Care.
  • Other Activities assigned from time to time.
  • Clinical Research 
  • Explored different forest divisions covering 54,000 sq. km. approx. area accounting to about 25% of Western Himalaya from Tarai-Bhabar belt to alpine zones.
  • It has so far made a collection of 64960 herbarium sheets representing about 218 families, 1410 genera and 3670 species of Angiosperms, Gymnosperms and Pteridophytes.
  • New records made on occurrence of Himalayan Ginseng (Panax pseudoginseg Wall.) and an Orchid [Diplomeris hirsuta (Lindl.) Linn.] from Western Himalaya.
  • Plants like Wallichia densiflora Mart and Phrynium placentarium (Lour) Meer. considered diminished for about a century have been noticed and collected.
  • Collected information on more than 550 medicinal folk claims.

 Events and other activities:

  • Maintaining of Saffron beds for demonstration purpose in medicinal plant gardens situated at Ranikhet and Chamba.
  • Development of technique for collection of Musk from Musk Deer without harming the animals and breeding in captivity.
  • Collection and supply of authentic crude drugs for different projects running in the Council.
  • Institute provides facilities for identification of plants and certifies authenticity.
  • Institute provides facility for Ph.D work in Botany stream in collaboration with Kumaon

    University, Nainital.