After our two weeks together in
Mysore, all seventeen of us split into different project sites. We are working
at Kenchanahalli Vivekananda Memorial Hospital one of SVYM’s great health
centers in Karnataka. The grounds lie between the forest itself and vast
agricultural fields, a beautifully natural setting that gives us a peaceful
feeling each time we look out our windows. The primary health center at
Kenchanahalli features a balanced practice of allopathic care and traditional
Indian medicine, known as Ayurveda. The word Ayurveda itself means the
"knowledge of life". This system of medicine is natural and holistic
and dates back 5000 years to its original texts written in Sanskrit. As
can be observed in the Viveka Memorial Hospital’s ayurvedic center, the
maintenance of balance within the body is emphasized by way of oil and
plant-based medicines and treatments
We have been lucky enough to
observe many Ayurvedic treatments and learn from the doctors who are so willing
to share all that they know with us. Each day we get a little bit more
acquainted with the staff, the doctors, the patients, and the environment;
going on walks to nearby villages, eating meals in the canteen all together and
working each day in the office is allowing us to easily acclimate and grow to
love it here, feeling more and more at home at Kenchanahalli.
- Olivia, 2013, Adriana ,2014
My project is focused on an
Ayurvedic approach to nutrition and disease. Working with Dr. Seetharam, Dr.
Mohan, Dr. Dennis and Mr. Ranjith I am writing a standard operating procedure
based on nutritional needs and sanitation requirements for the canteen. The
most fascinating part of my project is to create a diet handbook based on
Ayurveda, which outlines different body constitution dietary needs as well as
diets based on disease treatments. I hope to truly understand the interplay of
food and health in a developing and rural context by the time I am through and
cannot wait to observe local communities eating and water habits in order to
further my appreciation for nutritional care given at Kenchanahalli Hospital
and contribute to the best of my ability to SVYM’s mission.
- Olivia, 2013
My project here at
Kenchanahalli is to create the standard operating procedures for ayurvedic
treatments that are performed here. I also am also processing the prakruti, or
body constitution, documents that the center has created over the past two
years. It’s been amazing to learn about this alternative form of medicine as
well as interact with the hospital staff who have so much to share.
-
Adriana,
2014
Antiquity and
Modernization
Yesterday was our first day off
since starting our project, and we were lucky enough to join Dr. Lisa’s group
from Iowa and Louisiana on an adventurous day of cuisine and site seeing. We
traveled to three different ancient temples outside of Mysore District, two
dedicated to Hinduism and the last one to Jainism, two religions that exist
within India. The Temples are so beautifully crafted with intricate figurines
of Brahma, Shiva and many other gods in each crevice and scenes of elephants,
beautiful flowers and artwork carved into the outer and inner walls. The
ceilings echoed with the faint squeaking of bats flying around as the temple
swami blessed every person when they walked in; just outside the temple doors
lay busy streets filled with cars and smog. I felt truly blessed to be able to
observe such an ancient culture and practice that is still going on today. When
I think back on the past three weeks here, this juxtaposition of antiquity with
modernization is a recurring theme. The people themselves have an air of old
world values, culture and beliefs that is exuded through their actions and
words as they speak with you, yet they are all talking on modern cell phones. I
can only describe this experience as living history, and I have seen it nowhere
more strongly in the world than in India. To me this ancient quality has been
truly amazing to be immersed in, the ability to do so much with very little is
revealed in all situations especially in the healthcare system we are working
in. I hope to bring home with me a bit of old world culture and style to
further my appreciation of everything I am lucky enough to be apart of as well
as become a valuable citizen of the world.
