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A bronze statue of India's Maharishi Sushruta now stands inside one of the world's oldest surgical institution in Scotland

Recently, a 90-kilogram bronze statue of Maharishi Sushruta—widely regarded as the Father of Surgery—was unveiled at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the world's oldest surgical institution, founded in 1505 and home to over 33,000 members across more than 140 countries. The sculpture, crafted using the traditional lost-wax method by artisans in Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, was donated by the Cheruvu Family Foundation and transported to Edinburgh after clearing customs in both countries.

The statue stands near the staircase leading to the college's Playfair Hall, where surgical fellows receiving their degrees will pass it—a deliberate symbolic gesture connecting Sushruta's foundational work to the living practice of modern surgery. Alongside the unveiling, the college announced the establishment of an annual Sushruta Lectureship, made possible through a donation from Professor Vadrevu K. Raju, cementing the recognition.

The Man Behind the Samhita

Sushruta is believed to have lived around 600 BCE in the ancient city of Varanasi. His defining work, the , is an ancient Sanskrit text documenting surgical procedures, instruments, and techniques—including early methods of nose reconstruction (rhinoplasty) that are among the earliest recorded examples of plastic surgery. He is credited with performing over 300 types of surgeries and inventing 124 distinct surgical instruments.