C P Ramaswami Aiyar Institute of Indological Research

C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Institute of Indological Research (CPRIIR) was established in 1981 by the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation. The Institute promotes the study of Indian history, culture, religion, philosophy and the environment. Besides being a centre for research, the Institute also organises conferences, symposia, seminars, lectures and courses every year. The Institute was set up to research the rich heritage of India, to establish the historicity of Indian literature and to bring together academicians and intellectuals in a spirit of harmonious enquiry. Research into known and lesser-known aspects of Indian religions and culture, Sanskrit and Tamil literature, Indian ethno-archaeology, Hindu deities, art and artifacts and environmental history are the major focus. The Foundation is recognized as a Research Centre for conducting research leading to the Ph.D Degree in History and Environmental Studies by the University of Madras.

LIBRARY: The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation has excellent reference library facilities, with over 20,000 books and manuscripts on various areas of Indian philosophy and religion, art and culture, literature, history, sociology and economics, environment and the humanities, from all over the world. The library contains Sanskrit and Tamil books; rare and old books on Indian religion, art, literature and culture; and modern publications. The library is regularly updated with new books on Indian religion, art, history and the environment.