SPIRITUAL TOURISM WILL CHANGE INDIA

 

Most people do not realize that it is the pilgrim routes of India that created the notion of India in the first place — rivers and lakes and mountain springs connected through various trails identified by wandering monks, who were forbidden to stay in one place for too long — a rigid rule that helped them experience detachment and indifference to all things worldly. Hindus believe that the sacred space or temple, which is the tirthsthan, has the presence of divine power. Going on a thirthyatra is considered highly auspicious and the aim or end result of it is moksha – liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death.

Literally, a tirtha means a shallow area in a river that can be crossed easily. In fact, some of the most popular tirthas in Hindu religion are located along rivers – Ganga, Saryu, Narmada and Shipra. Symbolically crossing the river and reaching a tirtha is leaving behind the materialistic world and entering into the spiritual world. At the tirtha, a pilgrim seeks moksha and redemption from sins.

Those pilgrim spots that do not have flowing water is called a teertha-kshetra like Kurukshetra. In Sanskrit kshetra may denote a tract of land and the Kurukshetra specifically is the 'field' or 'precinct' where the Pandavas and Kauravas fought their holy war of the Mahabharata and where Lord Krishna  offered the teachings of Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna .

Now that we know that spiritual tourism is not a new concept but have mention in the Vedas as well, we also know that it is not a concept unique to Indians or Hindus. Muslims, Christians, Jews all have their religious sacred spaces and they too routinely visit these places like Mecca, Medina and the Vatican.

 

Hindu temples were actually Hindu national assets

Temples of ancient India acted as banks that financed infrastructure, commerce and industry. By the medieval period India outsized clout in global trade was driven by corporatized guilds and large merchant fleet that in turn were financed by the temple-banks. Plundering of temples not only enriched the plunderers but destroyed Indian kingdoms financially. The temples of India like the Tirupathi temple, the Vishwanath temple, the Golden Temple still run schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and langars and guest houses.

 

Tirupathi Tirumala Devasthanam

The economics of spiritual tourism

A recent paper by SBI research claimed that recently inaugurated Ram Temple and other tourism centric initiatives will yield tax collection to the tune of R. 5,000 crore ($ 0.75 billion or $ 750 million)  in 2024-25. Almost 5 crore (50 million) visitors are expected to visit Ayodhya annually. Foreign stock market research firm Jefferies has predicted that Ayodhya will surpass Vatican and Mecca in terms of visitor footfalls. Mecca attracts 2 crore (20 million) pilgrims and generates USD 12 billion in revenue and Vatican attracts 90 lac (9 million) visitors and generates USD 215 million in revenue.

A religious place like Tirupathi Balaji in Andhra Pradesh attracts 2.5 crore (25 million) devotees every year and earns revenue of Rs. 12,000 crores ($ 1.44 billion) whereas purely tourist destinations like the Taj Mahal attracts 70 lac (7 million) visitors and generates Rs. 100 crore ($ 12.3 million) and Agra Fort attracts 30 lac (3 million)  visitors and earns Rs. 27.5 crores ($ 3.3 million). The common tourist circuit of North India is Delhi – Agra – Jaipur but with the renovation of Varanasi and the construction of the Ram Temple and metamorphosis of Ayodhya the new popular tourist circuit will soon be Ayodhya – Varanasi – Prayagraj – Mathura. With over a billion Hindus all over the world, all trying to visit their religious and cultural roots at least once in their lifetime, you can imagine the prospects of religious tourism in this region. This is an unique occasion when India is discovering Bharat and Hindus are discovering Hinduism.

 

This is an ongoing trend

Refurbishing of Hindu temples and beautification of the city in which it is located is a new trend that can be clearly appreciated. This new approach of thinking about our cultural legacy as an economic asset, rather than a burden that we need to drag around merely because of sentimental attachment is both refreshing and economically rewarding.  Before Ram Mandir the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi, the Mahakaal corridor in Ujjain, the Sri Mandira Parikrama Parikalpa in Jaggannath Puri have already been completed and the Krishna Janmabhoomi corridor in Mathura and Vindhyavasini corridor in Mirzapur are also coming up. Assam is investing in Kamakhya temple corridor and the cleaned up corridor leading to the Golden Temple in Amritsar has enhanced the experience for pilgrims. Sacred spaces in India are being expanded, refurbished, re-imagined, re-planned and re-laid as a part of cultural renaissance and spiritual reawakening. What has changed is India’s unapologetic embracing of her religious and cultural assets.  

Kashi Vishwanath corridor

 

The history of the apologetic Hindu

We were rebuilding our Hindu temples even before but doing so most apologetically. The ruling dispensation was distinctly uneasy and blatantly unhelpful because it did not fit into their Neheruvian ‘secular’ agenda. In the first decade of independence Nehru diverted much of country’s scarce resources to build capital intensive projects like dams and public sector behemoths and they were dubbed as the ‘temples of modern India’. Though this investment choice cannot be debated but by calling them the new temples the ancient Hindu places of  worship were looked down upon and purposely ignored. The present government did not build the Ram Temple, nor did the Nehur government rebuild the Somnath temple, the donors did but while the present government created favorable circumstances Nehru did not, fearing that it would annoy the Muslim minority. Such was his antipathy towards our ancient culture that when Le Corbusier was chosen to design the city of Chandigarh, he was specifically told to design it without any reference to India’s past. So we have a beautifully laid out cityscape but with drab concrete box architecture, which looks anything but Indian.

The left liberals under Nehru forced the Hindus to remain in partial denial of their cultural and religious identity. The distinction cannot be more stark when we recall that Nehru refused to attend the inauguration of the refurbished Somnath Temple and even advised the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad to do the same, who thankfully did not oblige. Thankfully today the government has understood the feelings of the Hindu majority and the Prime Minister himself was not only the ‘mukhya yajman’  of the Pran Pratishthan ceremony of Ram Lalla but did so after completing 11 days of yam, niyam and upvas. He unhesitatingly takes a holy dip in the Ganga and walks bare feet along the Kashi Vishwanath corridor with Ganga-jal in his hand to do jalabhishekh of the temple deity Shiva!

 

Ram Temple, Ayodhya

Liberalization taught us the value of our heritage

With the economic liberalization ushered in by Dr. P.V. Narsimha Rao and his finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh our attitude towards our cultural assets began to change. Many palaces and forts which were left to crumble and rot in the last five decades were now converter into posh hotels and glamorous resorts and these heritage hotels attracted foreign tourists. Now we knew our heritage could earn money, employ youth and feed families. Temples however were still not touched as a constant policy of minority appeasement.

The construction of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi was a watershed moment for Hindu temple revamping and cultural revival. The pre-existing temple was cleaned and enticingly refurbished and enhanced, the environs were re-visioned and re-designed and the stairway from the Ganga could now lead to a majestic corridor which took the pilgrims to the temple. The results were simply awesome and the pilgrim footfall increase ten times between 2019 and 2023!

 

It will change people and politics

This new trend of a popular iconic figure participating in religious activities unhesitatingly, without bothering about antagonizing any section of the society, sends a very strong signal to the Hindu youth who were confused about Dharma and Religion. They are for the first time learning the meaning of words like ‘Pran Pratishthan’, ‘Garbha griha’, ‘Kamkati puja’ and showing interest in our ancient literature and art. It was an easy game to keep the majority Hindu community divided along the lines of caste, creed and language both for British to govern and the post independent left and left of centre dispensation to win elections. Even today their descendants are trying to rally support for caste census and promise reservation to virtually everyone at the drop of a hat. Now when the Ram Temple comes up with temples of Vashishtha, Valmiki, Jatayu, Shabri and Nishad Raj the caste fracture lines are also being healed    

 

It will change India

The government of India in 2015, under the stewardship of Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi started PRASAD – Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive focousing on developing the spiritual pilgrimage sites across India to showcase India’s cultural and spiritual diversity to the world. Thus, not only the Hindu pilgrimage sites and the Ramayana circuit were planned but so were the Buddha circuit the Sikh circuit and the Jain circuit. Development of these sites were accompanied by development of road, rail and air connectivity, development of city roads and transport, hotels and guest houses and tourism related shops, eateries and other businesses. Employment generation, economic growth and improved accessibility for locals all add up towards making a pivotal moment in the city’s journey towards progress and development. There is no better way to exploit our cultural and religious heritage.

SUGAR – MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE

 

Sugar is one type of carbohydrate, as are fiber and starch. Although carbohydrates are essential macronutrients (nutrients the body uses in large amounts), sugar is not. Sugar is an umbrella term for many types of simple carbohydrates, including white table sugar. Also called sucrose, this is the most common sweetener used in sweet desserts and baked goods. Sucrose is found naturally in sugar cane, sugar beets, apples, oranges, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables.  There are other sugars ingredients such as molasses, honey, maple syrup, and corn sweeteners.

Sucrose is only one of several types of sugar naturally found in foods including fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Other natural sugars include fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose and maltose.

 

Everywhere you look, people seem to be touting the benefits of a sugar-free diet. But not all sugar is created equal, and no one approach is the best for every person’s goals and preferences. Here are some key facts on sugar, sugar substitutes and sugar-free diets and other benefits of sugar.

 

So, is sugar bad for us?

Sugar isn’t inherently bad. Actually, it’s necessary: Our bodies run on sugar. The body processes the carbohydrates from food and turns much of it into glucose (sugar). The cells pull the glucose from the bloodstream and use it for fuel and energy. Removing natural sources of sugar and other carbohydrates from your diet — fruits, dairy products and grains — is not a healthy choice. But you can make choices about where sweetness in your foods is coming from.

Sweeteners like fruit juice, honey, molasses and maple syrup contain natural sugar and have some nutritional benefits. Fruit has fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Even raw honey and maple syrup can contain antioxidants and minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and potassium.

 

So why is all the fuss about sugar?

There’s a big difference between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. Much sugar is added to processed foods such as donuts, bread, candy, soda, fruit punch, sweet tea, and even condiments like ketchup and barbeque sauce. The result is that many people consume a large amount of added sugar that has no nutritional benefits. And too much added sugar can lead to health problems including high blood sugar, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, dental issues such as cavities, increased triglycerides, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

 

Going totally sugar free is unwise

Removing all sugar from your diet means you might miss important nutrients found in fruits, whole grains and dairy. Diets that cut out all carbohydrates and sugars, such as the ketogenic diet, can be harmful to your health.

Without sugar, our bodies must find alternative sources of energy. So, they use ketone bodies (substances produced by the liver) for fuel ― basically, the body goes into starvation mode. A diet without any carbohydrates or sugars may cause “keto flu,” with symptoms such as headache, fatigue and brain fog.

Dietitians recommend cutting way back on highly refined foods and beverages with added sugars and artificial sweeteners, but not removing all carbohydrates from your diet.

 

Sugar substitutes

Sugar substitutes taste sweet but don’t contain sugar. They have fewer calories than sugar, and some have no calories at all. Foods labeled “sugar-free,” “keto,” “low carb” or “diet” often contain sugar substitutes, which fall into three categories: artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols and novel sweeteners.

Most artificial sweeteners (also called nonnutritive sweeteners) are created from chemicals in a lab. A few are made from natural substances like herbs. They can be 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar.

These sweeteners don’t contain calories or sugar, but they also don’t have beneficial nutrients like vitamins, fiber, minerals or antioxidants. 

Traditionally, artificial sweeteners have been the only option for people who need to monitor their blood glucose levels or weight. Some experts believe that artificial sweeteners pose health hazards, from weight gain to cancer. But research on this is ongoing, and past studies showing health risks were conducted on animals, not humans. Studies on people have shown these products to be generally safe if more than the acceptable daily intake for each is not consumed.

Some common sugar substitutes that are approved for use are Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), Advantame, Aspartame, Neotame, Saccharin and Sucralose. Then there are some novel sweeteners that are derived from natural sources. This relatively new group, sometimes called “plant-derived non-caloric sweeteners,” provides many of the benefits of both artificial and natural sweeteners like fruit or honey. Novel sweeteners are not a significant source of calories or sugar, so they don’t lead to weight gain or blood sugar spikes. They are also typically less processed and are more similar to their natural sources compared to artificial sweeteners. They are Allulose, Monk fruit, Stevia and Tagatose.

 

Other uses of sugar

Besides being one of the substances we love to taste the most, sugar can help out with plenty of other things, and it's always worth having around the house. We've collected a few of these uses for you to learn about - you'll never think of sugar as just a sweetener again!

     

1. Calming babies:   Pediatric studies have shown that babies who have been given a solution containing one spoon of sugar and four glasses of water before being vaccinated reacted more calmly to shots than those that weren't.  

 

2. Treating wounds:   A pinch of sugar may help heal many types of wounds, such as pressure wounds, ulcers or cuts. All you need to do is pour a little sugar on the wound and it will kill all the bacteria in the area, even relieving chronic local pain.       

 

3. Treating a burnt tongue:   Sipping too quickly from a scalding coffee cup or biting into a steaming pizza are easy ways of burning your tongue, and that feeling isn't very pleasant. In order to alleviate this uncomfortable feeling, put a little sugar on the burnt area. 

 

4. Body peeling:   Due to its rough texture, sugar can be used as a perfect peeling agent and offer great aid to your grooming routine. A simple scrub can be made by mixing sugar with different kinds of oil (canola, almond, jojoba or olive). You can also add essential oils to the mix, or even some vanilla abstract to enhance the scent. An addition of vitamins in the form of a banana will help, and you can mash it and combine with three spoons of sugar and one of olive oil to form the scrub.     

 

5. Cleaning dirty hands:   When your hands are very dirty (with paint or grease, for instance), you can use sugar to remove the hard stains. Add sugar to soap foam and give them a good rub.    

 

6. Nourishing the lips:   Mixing a little jojoba oil and olive oil with a drop of powdered sugar and  mint or vanilla extract can create a natural moisturizing cream that's both intensive and extremely efficient at nourishing your lips. Smear some of it on your lips and rub gently.   

Also, if you want your lips to look better with lipstick on, just put a nice amount of sugar on the lips and allow it to absorb for several minutes.     

 

7. Terminating pests:   If the roots of your garden plants are full of worms, you'll probably be happy to learn that they can be killed using sugar. Bury five kilos of sugar for each 250 square meters of land, and wait patiently - the sugar will naturally kill all the worms.   Sugar can also be used to capture and kill other pests. To catch annoying flies, create a mixture of equal amounts of honey, sugar and water and boil it in a pot while stirring. Then take a square of sticky paper and create a hole at one end. After it cools, pour the mixture on the sticky side of the square and hang it on the wall with a string. The flies will go for the honey and stick to your smart trap.    To get rid of cockroaches, put equal amounts of sugar and baking powder near their hideouts. The sugar will draw them in, while the baking powder will kill them.

 

8. Nourishing the roots of your flowers:   To give a better look to your home flower patch, you can use three teaspoons of sugar with two tablespoons of white vinegar for each liter of water you give them. The sugar will help nourish the stems, while the vinegar will prevent bacteria from growing.       

 

9. Cleaning grass stains:   Make a mixture of hot water and sugar and smear on clothes with grass stains. Allow it to soak into the clothes for about an hour or a slightly longer (depending on how covered it is in the stains), and then put in the laundry as usual.     

 

10. Keeping food fresh:   If you put a cake or cookies in a sealed container and add a few sugar cubs, they will keep fresh for longer. The same goes for cheese.

 

So, sugar is good for health but have it in moderation. An occasional binging on Rasgulla and Rasmalai will do no harm but be a bit more careful if you are a diabetic. Skip the CocaCola, Pepsi, energy drinks, sweet teas and fruit juices. Use whole fruit as a sweetener. Add a mashed banana to oatmeal or milk-cornflakes, or blend dates into a lassi. Sugar substitutes are controversial but there is very little evidence against them. Novel sweeteners, which are plant based natural sweeteners like Allulose, Monk fruit, Stevia and Tagatose are definitely safer and are gradually catching up.

ACCIDENTAL MEDICAL DISCOVERIES

 

Winston Churchill once said, “Men occasionally stumble across the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing has happened.” Within the scientific community, a certain stigma is attached to chance discovery because it is wrongly seen as pure luck. Happy accidents certainly happen every day, but it takes intelligence, insight, and creativity to recognize one. Eureka, I found what I wasn't looking for!” moment are surely rare but it is only an intelligent researcher who follows it to its logical conclusion.

 Medical history is replete with groundbreaking discoveries that have altered the way we perceive and treat illnesses. Many of these medical breakthroughs, curiously, were a result of chance rather than thorough design or rigorous experimentation, but they went on to change the direction of medicine forever. This blog explores the fascinating world of serendipity in medicine today, revealing six examples of unintentional medical discoveries that have saved lives, transformed treatments, and revolutionized healthcare. These discoveries demonstrate not only the unpredictable nature of scientific advancement, but also the necessity of being prepared to take advantage of unexpected opportunities in the pursuit of better health.

 

1. Penicillin

After a month-long Scottish vacation in 1928, pathologist Alexander Fleming returned to his laboratory at St. Mary's Hospital in London. To his surprise, a discarded culture dish he had left exposed on a window sill had become contaminated with an airborne mold. This mold, a type of fungus, had halted the growth of the harmful bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, adjacent to its blue-green strands. Fleming's accidental encounter led to the discovery of the first antibiotic, penicillin. In recognition of this serendipitous find, he jointly received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1945 with Florey and Chain, Oxford chemists who streamlined the mass production of penicillin, making it available for treating wartime injuries in World War II. Fleming would most candidly admit “When I woke up just after dawn on 28 September 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer, but I suppose that was exactly what I did.”

 

2. Cardiac pacemaker

The world's first implantable heart pacemaker was an accidental invention by New York engineer Wilson Greatbatch. In 1956, he aimed to develop a heartbeat monitoring device, but he mistakenly used an incorrect resistor in his prototype, resulting in the device generating consistent electrical pulses. As soon as Greatbatch recognized that his pulses resembled the electrical patterns of a normal heartbeat, he recognized the potential of his invention. After two years of refining his design, he successfully patented a pacemaker that could be implanted in the heart in 1960, and it soon entered full-scale production. Today, these life-saving devices, born from his initial invention, improve the lives of over half a million patients with slow heartbeats every year.

 

3. Warfarin

The blood-thinning substance, also known as an anticoagulant, was discovered in the 1930s by American biochemist Karl Paul Link when a Wisconsin farmer sought his expertise to investigate unexplained hemorrhages among his cattle. Upon examining the cattle's feed, Link identified the anticoagulant substance. Following that, he was able to isolate a chemical, now known as warfarin that could effectively treat people with blood clots. Remarkably, warfarin remains in use to this day.

 

4. Viagra

Pfizer's laboratories in Kent were the birthplace of one of the most famous accidental medical breakthroughs. Initially formulated as a remedy for angina, this treatment ended up becoming the world's most famous blue pill for erectile dysfunction: Viagra. Early clinical trials involving sildenafil, now known as Viagra, revealed a remarkable pattern: male volunteers frequently experienced prolonged and unanticipated erections. Further research found that Viagra, which was originally designed to relax cardiac blood vessels and enhance blood flow, had a similar impact on penile arteries. Since its launch in 1998, Viagra has revolutionized the intimate lives of countless men across the globe.

 

5. Potassium Bromide

Like most doctors of his time, Charles Lockock believed there was a cause-and-effect relationship between masturbation, seizures, and epilepsy. Bromides were known to suppress sexual drive. Lockock's motive was to control epilepsy, i.e., convulsions, by reducing the frequency of masturbation. The treatment was successful in terms of controlling the spasms. It also drew attention to the drug's sedative properties.

Potassium bromide and other inorganic bromide salts were widely used as anxiolytic sedatives and anticonvulsants during the second half of the 19th century. They were undoubtedly effective, although their relatively low therapeutic efficacy combined with high toxicity has practically banned their clinical use today.

 

6. Nitrous oxide

Laughing gas, also known as nitrous oxide, was first discovered in 1772 by Joseph Priestly, an English clergyman and scientist who was known for the isolation of gases such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Priestly discovered the gas by dissolving iron fillings in nitric acid, which revealed its anti-anxiety effects. It wasn't until the 1840s, however, that pioneering medical professionals and dentists began to investigate its potential as a sedative. During the interim, it was mostly used to improve mood during social gatherings and had a reputation as a recreational stimulant.

 

7. X-rays

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a German physicist, discovered X-rays by accident in 1895. Roentgen was doing cathode ray (extremely energy electron) tests in a dark room when he noticed a fluorescent screen on the other side of the room blazing despite a barrier obstructing the cathode rays. He began looking into this unusual event after being intrigued by it. Roentgen initially thought that the fluorescence was caused by cathode rays, but after conducting multiple experiments and ruling out various possibilities, he determined that a new and unexplained type of radiation was being released. This radiation has the potential to travel through a variety of objects, including flesh and clothing, and expose photographic plates. The fact that these beams were invisible to human sight was particularly astounding. Roentgen named the discovery "X-rays" since the letter X represents something unknown. Upon publishing his findings, he shared them with the scientific community, sparking much interest and further research. By using them, it was possible to obtain non-invasive images of the inner structures of the human body, which led to the development of X-ray machines and the field of radiology. Roentgen's unintentional discovery of X-rays transformed medical diagnosis by allowing doctors to view into the human body without intrusive procedures. It was a fortuitous discovery that had a significant impact on science, technology, and healthcare.

 

8. Pap Smear

While George Nicholas Papanicolaou’s research would eventually be on human physiology, he began his studies with guinea pigs. In 1916, while studying sex chromosomes, he deduced that reproductive cycles in the experimental animals could be timed by examining smears of their vaginal secretions. From 1920, he began to focus on the cytopathology of the human reproductive system. He was thrilled when he was able to discern differences between the cytology of normal and malignant cervical cells upon a simple viewing of swabs smeared on microscopic slides. As part of his research, he collaborated with Dr Herbert Traut, a gynaecological pathologist, eventually publishing their landmark book in 1943, Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear.

 

Morton A. Meyers has written a book called ‘Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs’. It is an entertaining and accessible look at the role of serendipity in major medical and scientific breakthroughs of the twentieth century explains how chance and lucky accidents led to the discovery of such medical advances. You can read it in Kindle.