A collaborative project between IIT Madras and local Sanskrit scholars has successfully used Artificial Intelligence to decipher a rare palm-leaf manuscript found in an 11th-century temple vault in Palakkad. The text, written in the Siddham script, is a comprehensive 6th-century commentary on advanced botanical classifications and the extraction of essential oils for neurological treatments.
The manuscript details over 400 plant species, many of which were previously thought to be extinct or unidentified in ancient literature. Researchers state that the text provides a missing link between the Sushruta Samhita and medieval Ayurvedic practices, showcasing a highly scientific approach to plant-based chemistry and pharmaceutical stabilization techniques used in the early Gupta-Vakataka transition period.