On 19 June 2026 a 90‑kilogram bronze statue of Maharishi Sushruta was unveiled at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and permanently installed in the Playfair Building near the staircase to Playfair Hall.
Statue & Installation
- Date of unveiling: 19 June 2026.
- Weight & material: Approximately 90 kg of bronze.
- Permanent location: Playfair Building, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (near Playfair Hall staircase).
- Institutional context: Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh established 1505; one of the world’s oldest surgical colleges.
Craftsmanship
- Place of manufacture: Swamimalai, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Artisan: Crafted by a team led by master sculptor Raghavanantham Sthapathi.
- Techniques: Traditional lost‑wax (cire‑perdue) and single bronze casting; enables single‑piece hollow sculptures.
Associated Initiatives
- Professional development grants: Cheruvu Family Professional Development Grants launched to support international surgical training.
- Annual lectureship: A Sushruta Lectureship established to fund recurring academic events.
- Publication: “Compendium of Sushruta” — 36 chapters by 40 authors on Sushruta’s surgical contributions.
Sushruta: Surgical Legacy
- Text: Sushruta Samhita documents hundreds of surgical procedures and instruments.
- Reconstructive surgery: Describes techniques for rhinoplasty and tissue reconstruction.
- Antiquity: Sushruta is dated to over 2,500 years ago and is traditionally regarded as the father of surgery.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Lost‑wax casting: Involves modelling in wax, investment in refractory material, wax burnout and molten metal pouring.
- Playfair Building: Part of the College’s historical complex used for institutional records and ceremonial spaces.