Management of Chronic sinusitis at Columbia Asia January 12 2017

Many of the things I have learnt from management of Chronic Sinusitis:

The indication of surgery in my case was failure of medical treatment and also my congenital defect from my past cleft lip surgery Plus failure to eradicate the infection as assessed persistent tenderness of left frontal sinus and still completely free of bad odor in my nostrils and taste in my mouth plus CT scan of sinuses showing marked opacity of left sinuses all of them.  Right looked ok. I had two weeks of Augmentin 1 gm per day and Levofloxin 500 mg daily and this did not completely eradicate the infection. I was admitted after I had preop blood tests which included earlier done blood sugar and currently Complete Blood count Blood group at my request but not necessary, lytes Creatinine and Serology as requested by Dathathri which ruled out HIV hepatic B like that and complete cardiac work up like Treadmill, Echo EKG and it was clearly I needed to get that and luckily I am healthy cardiac wise.  The surgery was done in the morning Actually no instructions were given to me pre op things I should do not do by the doctor and I learnt the latest one on the internet which frowns on nothing my mouth after midnight, encourages fluid excepting dairy products which could act like slowly digesting solid food because of heavy fat content and I could drink water almost till 2 hours before surgery I did take sips of water till I left home. I was admitted to the floor. I had no idea of cost of the one day admission nursing care and surgical care. I paid 40000.00 deposit and this is what Dathathri told me to do and my final payment was another 25000.00 which included all the cost of surgery nursing and room rate a beautiful special single bed with excellent nursing care and even food was good.  My surgery started at 9:00 am and lasted for 2 hours Hourly messages were sent from Operating room to the listed Mobile numbers that is mine and Rajendra. I did not realize that the reception why they insisted on my contact number. After surgery I was visited by Ammanna and others and Dathathri I was half conscious and did not know it.  Latter on I was awake and wheeled out of the operating room I was given IV Pentothal and intubated. I never felt or knew about intubation and my throat on the right side was bit sensitive to warm liquids for a day because of that. I had no pain did not need any pain medications although nursing staff gave me Paracetamol three times.  I had a round bulb like dressing on my nose taped and it was liquid and air tight did not allow any leakage. I started noticing bloody blood discharge next day when the dressing was removed. The night of surgery at the hospital was kind of restless because of no proper comfort in the bed and discomfort of the nasal area. I was starved of any food and liquids almost till 3:45 pm and started taking coconut water and a 2 liter bottle of Aquafina left bedside. I had egg sandwich in the evening coffee and  night had a supper rice Rasam curds vegetable cooked and some cut fruits.  Next day I was ready to get out. Dathathri with his assistant Praveen with another lady person visited me in the evening and had discharged me in the morning Since I am a cash payer no insurance my discharges were easy I had to wait for driver Murali to give me the ATM which Ammanna had taken with her in spite of my request to leave it with me.  I got picked up around 9:00 am by Murali and Ammanna. Nursing staff was very nice friendly I felt like I was a special patient. Home and I have been improving. First night at home was not as good as second night and today is 3^rd day and I am almost normal.

What is Endoscopic Sinus surgery?

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery is a surgical procedure to remove unhealthy sinus tissue from the drainage channels, which helps in making way for the drainage of infected material from the sinus cavities. The surgery is mostly performed using endoscopic methods for improved and accurate view. Endoscopic nasal sinus surgery is done without external incisions and therefore there is very little bleeding, swelling and discomfort, which enables a fast recovery. Endoscopic sinus surgery does not damage healthy tissues, requires less time and yields good results. Nasal sinus surgery requires post-operative care, therefore follow-up and aftercare should be given essential attention.

How is Endoscopic Sinus Surgery performed?

A nasal endoscope is inserted through the nostrils into the nasal cavity. This allows the doctor to view the inside of the nose and sinuses.

The middle turbinate is located to identify and remove the uncinate process.

The ethmoid air cells are opened to improve ventilation, leaving the bone with the covering of mucous membrane.

Any blockage in the ostium, situated close to the jaw is removed with a meatal antrostomy.

The surgery helps to improve the ventilation of the sinuses by making the osteomeatal complex function better.

How to prepare for the Endoscopic Sinus surgery?

The patient’s medical history is reviewed by the doctor.

An ENT specialist will conduct diagnostic examination on the patient, which may involve fiberoptic endoscopy and CT scan.

The patient needs to avoid taking certain medication that may worsen bleeding. This includes herbs and vitamins.

The patient may be required to take antibiotics and steroids to reduce swelling.

Patients who smoke are advised to stop or reduce smoking to help in recovery.

The doctor should be informed if the patient has fever or any illness before the surgery.

Duration of procedure/surgery :

60 to 90 minutes

Days admitted :

Nasal sinus surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure.

Anesthesia :

Local anesthesia with intravenous sedation

Recovery :

- The patient is taken to the recovery room where the patient’s vital signs are monitored.

- Moderate bleeding from the nose after the surgery is normal.

- The patient may vomit once or twice after the surgery.

- Swelling of the nose, around the eyes, and upper lip is noticed for several days.

- Complete recovery may take three to five days.

Risks :

- Injury to the optic nerve, resulting in blindness

- Leakage of cerebrospinal fluid

- Orbital Hematoma

- Nasolacrimal duct stenosis

- Intracranial injury

- Smell and taste impairment

- Numbness

- Voice change

- Pain

- Nasal blockage

After care :

- The patient will not be able to drive after the surgery due to drowsiness and disorientation.

- The nose dressing should be changed regularly as it becomes wet.

- The patient may need to wear a nose pack for a few days

- The patient should avoid blowing the nose for about a week from the surgery.

- The patient should sleep with the head at an elevation.

- Pain medication should be taken only after consulting the doctor.

- The patient may need to use a saline spray for six to eight times a day to keep the nose moist.

- The patient should restrain from strenuous activities and physical recreational activities for a few weeks.

- Alcoholic beverages, caffeine, and spicy food should be avoided.

- Decongestant nasal sprays should not be used without consulting a doctor.

- Dairy products may cause excessive mucous formation and should therefore be avoided.

(Myth Buster: Milk consumption does not lead to mucus production or asthma.

The belief has been held for years that milk causes mucus formation, although the few studies on this topic have failed to demonstrate any effect of milk on mucus production. Many people confuse the temporary, slight thickening of saliva after drinking milk with mucus. There is no scientific research showing that milk produces mucus in the airways or the throat. It will not worsen cold or asthma symptoms. In fact, although many people reduce milk intake when they have a cold, one clinical trial showed milk and dairy food intake was not associated with an increase in upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms of congestion.1 Studies have found milk intake was not associated with increased nasal secretions, coughing, nose symptoms or congestion.2,3 Some doctors say that milk thickens saliva, which may coat the throat and give the perception of more mucus, but it does not cause the body to produce more mucus or phlegm.

Furthermore, milk may actually contribute to speeding up recovery, as drinking lots of fluids when you have a cold is important. Frozen dairy foods and fruit smoothies may soothe a sore throat and provide important calories and nutrients when you are not eating much else.)

- The patient should avoid smoking and should drink a lot of water.

- The patient should take all medication prescribed by the doctor.

- A follow up appointment is scheduled a week after the surgery.

My Discharge instructions are as follows;

Avoid Nose Blowing/ Sneezing

·       Avoid Distant Travel

·       Avoid Dust and Smoke

·       Steam inhalation Daily twice for 15 min each time

·       Plenty of Oral Liquids

·       Report to Emergency ROOM if any bleeding from nose/ mouth/ Headache/ Fever

PARACETAMOL TAB 650 MG DOLO-650

Dosage: 1 TABLET' Frequency: 3 TIMES A DAY' Duration: 3 Days Route : PER ORAL 1 Drug Instruction : 1 Special Instruction :

Montelukast + Fexofenadine hydrochloride 10mg+120mg Tablet Montair FX Dosage: 1 TABLET' Frequency: 0-0-11 Duration: 5 Days

Route : PER ORAL 1 Drug Instruction : 1 Special Instruction :

XYLOMETAZOLINE DROP 0.1% W/V OTRIVIN - ADULT NASAL SPRAY 10ML Dosage: 3 DROPS' Frequency: 3 TIMES A DAY1 Duration: 5 Days

Route : INTRANASAL 1 Drug Instruction : 1 Special Instruction :

LEVOFLOXACIN TAB 500 MG LEVOFLOX

Dosage: 1 TABLETI Frequency: 0-1-01 Duration: 10 Days Route : PER ORAL 1 Drug Instruction : 1 Special Instruction :

AUGMENTIN DUO 1000MG TABLET(AMOXYCILLIN+CLAVULANATE 875MG+125MG)GSK Dosage: 1 TABLETI Frequency: 1-0-11 Duration: 5 Days

Route : PER ORAL 1 Drug Instruction : 1 Special Instruction :

Follow up /appointment :

Review after 4 Days with Dr. Dathathri prior appointment

Actual surgical procedure done on me by Dr. Dathathri

Surgeries Performed

Total charges	₹74,996.25
Consultation medications and preoperative tests blood CT scan and Cardiac approximate cost	₹10,000.00
Surgical Supplies	₹3,347.50
Pharmacy	₹11,567.02
Doctor charges	₹28,441.10
Hospital Charges	₹21,640.63

Surgery Date: 12/01/2017 I Performed By: DATHATHRI.H I Surgery: Septoplasty with FESS for Left side done

under GA I I Surgical Prophylaxis I I Septoplasty done to correct Gross Bony + Cartilagenous DNS I Left

Uncinectomy+ Middle meatal antrostomy+ Anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy+ Sphenoidotomy+ Frontal

Sinusotomy done I I Hemostasis achieved by packing I Gel foam with triamcinolone packing done I I Post Op

Vision/ Reflexes/ Vision- Normal I

Cost of management including everything

Surgery for chronic sinusitis

I am 78 year old retired Physician admitted for Chronic Sinusitis not improving with 2 weeks of Antibiotics and admitted and Endoscopic surgery under general anesthesia and overnight stay after the surgery and image shows the cost at Columbia Asia Mysore. 

I am on antibiotics nasal drops steam inhalation and will follow with the doctor in one week will update on the progress. Continued drainage from the nostril on the side of surgery is much better after 24 hours. General health been excellent no Diabetes and mild hypertension no allergies   

Anchor Babies

 INDIA Born In The USA: Why Chinese 'Birth Tourism' Is Booming In California May 01, 2015 | Updated May 14, 2015 Matt Sheehan China Correspondent, The WorldPost  BEIJING -- When Ma Fahong approached the immigration desk at Los Angeles International Airport, the customs agent had only two questions for her. “Why are you coming to the U.S.?” “I’m here to have a baby.” “How much cash do you have on you?” “I only have $1,000 in cash, but I have a debit card with much more in the bank.” Passport stamped. Welcome to Los Angeles. Ma is part of a growing wave of Chinese women who are flocking to the United States -- California, in particular -- to have children who will grow up as American citizens. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to every person born on American soil, a fact that has long motivated foreigners from all over the world to give birth in the U.S. Related Articles Chinese Police Arrest 12 Suspects In Tianjin Blasts, State Media Reports India's Lost Opportunity For Reform: Narendra Modi Falters China's Turbulent Stock Market Slips Once Again The Time Is Now for ASEAN to Push Toward Environmental Crime Accountability Yesterday's Trade Ideas Are Up $18,400 -- Today it's 3 Percent Index Gains or Bust! The conversation about immigrant families in the U.S. is typically centered around people from Latin America seeking economic opportunities in the States. But as incomes in China rise and visa hurdles fall, women from China are making up a larger share of foreign births in the U.S, and they’re complicating many of the popular ideas about immigrant mothers. Most of the Chinese mothers come with large sums of cash at their fingertips, money they often spend on houses and luxury goods. While many, like Ma, enter and give birth in the U.S. legally, others buy package plans from “birth tourism” agencies -- profit-seeking and sometimes illegal organizations that arrange accommodations and hospital visits for groups of Chinese women. These businesses have clustered in California, a top tourism destination that also boasts large Chinese-American communities that make many expectant mothers feel at home.  In March, federal agents raided several “maternity hotels” in the Los Angeles area. Undercover investigations had revealed that the groups were evading taxes, encouraging women to lie to immigration officials and sometimes defrauding hospitals. No reliable data exists on the number of Chinese births in the U.S, but estimates by industry publications projected a total of 60,000 for 2014, a sixfold increase over 2012. Awareness of the trend skyrocketed in China in 2013 when the popular romantic comedy “Finding Mr. Right” portrayed a Chinese woman, the mistress of a wealthy businessman, sneaking into Seattle on a tourist visa in order to buy Gucci bags and have an American child. That film popularized and sensationalized the phenomenon, but Ma and her husband, Zhu Yuesheng, are much more low-key. Born near the dawn of Chinese economic reforms in the late 1970s, Ma and Zhu left behind the farms their parents tilled in order to attend college. Riding China’s economic boom, the couple sought work in the southern manufacturing powerhouse of Guangdong province, eventually starting their own factory that produces computer handbags. When the couple had their first child a decade ago, legally giving birth in the U.S. was only an option for the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan Chinese couples. But over the past 10 years, visas to the U.S. have become easier to get for Chinese nationals, and the country's per capita GDP has more than doubled.  In the Chinese romantic comedy "Finding Mr. Right," a Chinese mistress (Tang Wei) has a baby in Seattle on a tourist visa. In that same span of time, China has also been plagued by health scandals that have struck fear into expectant mothers. Food safety scares -- including tainted infant milk powder -- often dominate the news, and the public has woken up to the dangers of the toxic smog engulfing many Chinese cities. One recent study linked high levels of air pollution to lower birth weights that put babies at risk in their first month and later in life. But foremost in many Chinese parents’ minds are the educational opportunities available in the U.S. Weary of their country’s test-obsessed education system, record numbers of Chinese parents have been sending their children to American kindergartens, Ph.D. programs and everything in between. An American passport makes many of these opportunities cheaper and more accessible. Having a child in California is not cheap for Chinese parents: Package deals at maternity hotels often start at $20,000 and go much higher. Ma and Zhu chose to rent a room from a friend in Long Beach, but they still estimate that they spent around $30,000 in total. But even those high outlays essentially pay for themselves in many cases. If Ma and Zhu had given birth to their second child in China, they likely would have faced fines equal to $40,000 for violation of the country’s “one-child policy.” Zhu first traveled to the U.S. in 2008 for a trade show in Las Vegas. (His initial impressions of America: “Dry and lots of gambling.”) It was through the international sales of his factory’s handbags that he and his wife first met Cora Callanta and her husband, who would eventually host them during their stay in Los Angeles.  Callanta is an immigrant herself, having followed her mother to the U.S. from the Philippines as a teenager. Her mother worked hard to support nine children, and that experience shaped how Callanta views Ma and another Chinese woman who stayed with their family while giving birth. “[My mother] instilled in our minds that you are not to go on welfare. You’ve got to work hard and support yourself, and you don’t depend on the government for anything,” Callanta told The WorldPost. “I see the two Chinese families that I’ve crossed paths with and they’re the same way. They’re not taking advantage of the system.” But not all observers are so sanguine about the trend. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), who has called the phenomenon “nuts,” is one of several senators to introduce legislation that would end birthright citizenship. Jon Feere of the Center for Immigration Studies has testified before Congress, arguing that “birth tourism” represents a major abuse of immigration law. “One of the key problems with birth tourism is that that birth tourists are effectively taking control over U.S. immigration and citizenship policy by turning a grant of temporary admission into a permanent stay,” Feere told The WorldPost in an email. “And they're doing it through fraud, lying to our officials.” Federal investigations in Los Angeles found that many of the maternity hotels didn’t pay taxes on millions of dollars in income, and that employees had coached expectant mothers on how to hide their true intentions from visa and immigration officials.  A federal agent examines a diaper box obtained during a raid at a maternity hotel in California. Agents also discovered evidence of agencies or mothers defrauding hospitals, sometimes by relying on discounts for impoverished mothers. One family that paid just a small fraction of its $28,845 hospital bill was found to have purchases at Louis Vuitton and Rolex on its bank statement. For the time being, the federal raids may have slowed the influx of Chinese visitors. One consultant who arranges birth tourism trips told The New York Times' Chinese edition that business has dropped 30 percent over the past month. But in interviews, several Chinese parents remained optimistic about their children’s bicultural futures. Zhu and Ma hope to send both of their children to a private school in Los Angeles beginning in either elementary or middle school, and the couple wants to travel between China and California until they’re too old to make the trip. Asked if their American-born son would grow up feeling Chinese or American, Zhu told The WorldPost, “I hope he can balance both.”  Advertisement  More: #China #Immigration #Los Angeles 455 Comments Email us corrections or feedback. Advertisement  News for you 10 Smart Back-To-School Tips For Divorced Parents Fat-Shaming Commercial For Sanitary Pads Is Offensive On So Many Levels Americans Don't Like Pharma And Think They're Getting Ripped Off Here's How Much President Nixon Dicked Up The Name "Richard" QUOTA CLASH Army Called In After 8 Die In Violence In Gujarat  Hardik Patel Intensifies Demand For Reservation.... #YoHardikSoReserved.... Centre Moves In....  Sent from my Samsung device

Man lived like rest of the Animals for a long time

Man like rest of the animals on this planet, lived in small groups and foraged the forest for food like berries, fruits herbs. Hunted small and medium sized animals. These small groups worked all day and every day was same as previous day. Food is consumed and not stored. They lived in small caves probably used the caves that have formed in natural cave formations. Extra layer of protection with vegetation and leaves branches of tree to keep the wild predatory animals at bay, lived in small groups for security protecting each other, working together to gather food. The group of hunters and gatherers were small and each one covered a large area and when the area no longer provided needed food they moved in search of other more fertile areas for berries and animals they could hunt. Men and women worked as equal and men usually hunted and women gathered the berries. Not sure these people knew how make fire and use it. The family of H & G remained small because woman had to wait for 4 years at least before she can have next child as she could only carry one child in their migratory life.  The food they collected Berries fruits and games offered plenty of proteins and other nutrients than the Currently Farmed grains of rice wheat and corn.  They were taller than early farming people, like men 5 Feet 9 inches and woman 5 feet 5 inches unlike 5 feet and less than 5 feet for early farming people. Because they did not live like farming people together in large communities, the communicable diseases were far less frequent. Farming communities produced more food so needed to be stored and also made an inducement for rodents which carry pestilence bacteria. Bubonic Plague became a scourge after humans embraced farming. Fairly disease free Hunters and Gathers lived longer, they never experienced any famine like farming communities did when they became dependent on few tubers, plants, seeds and pellets.  Irish Potato farming failure and a million people perished is a glaring example

Inequality in the community is also one of the miseries of farming, creating a section of people who stole or strong armed by force or intimidation. Farming communities had to create deterrence to guard against such coercion. So category of battle force or warrior class which not only involved in defending their communities they also had to safeguard people from criminal elements living inside the communities. Ruling class once created, held on to perpetual power laying foundation for Royal class, Dynasty and Kings  and other forms  generic potentates. An egalitarian society was replaced by Dynastic one. Women of the H and G community who were working as equal now became women to produce more offsprings and hence deterioration of their general health and also became beasts of burden. Might become the right way to live and rule. This is the beginning of the end of our civilization.

Agricultural Farming started over 10,000 years is the greatest misguided step human race took and can’t be reversed. No one foresaw it. Many the hunters and gathers like Kalahari Bushman of Kalahari desert had their Shaman Wise man, Medicine man a Healer who warned them against the dangers of Farming and agricultural way of living, a wisdom had by these Godmen is a mystery. This also tell us Noble prize level intellectual egg head, highbrow of civilized world failed to see what Shaman  of Bush people saw. The ancient religious wisdom developed over thousands of years is really a proof of existence of something wiser and beyond understanding by existing current day science. Some Celestial power exists above us.

Late Bloomers

LATE BLOOMERS

Genetic Basis of Human Traits:
I would like to explain the genetic traits of human traits as I understood and put them in the most simplistic way overlooking some minor misrepresentation of facts.  Late Bloomer is a modern concept. Those people who carrying a derogatory labels like stupid lazy idler etc growing up, many of them turned out to be success in innumerable areas in later life.  People living for long period of time quite healthy and functional resulted in recognition of growing number of Late Boomers and with the Medical Research having gone to Molecular level, Human nature behaviors are now explained by genetic processes.

Intelligence in human brain has  a very broad and outstretched meaning.  You could be intelligent in one area and could be inapt and ignorant other areas. Basic Intelligence or understanding appear early after birth as a rule and these are motor skills, vocabulary, memory of facial recognition etc. These are controlled by Genes may be few different one for each one of these abilities. As the child grows older, the environment and society expects more capabilities. Once the child is thrown into a communal environment like school, the demand on the growing child suddenly changes and becomes substantial. Now the child out of protective family environment and thrown into an alien neighborhood, real basic make up of personality trait of the child becomes noticeable. The child is no longer an automatic hero. She or he needs to prove the mettle.    Various abilities and talents develop at appropriate pace in most children and very much depend on environment at home and school.  In hostile environment at home or at school, many genes do not process to form traits and abilities. With proper environment the genes process fast and child would show gifts sometimes beyond accepted age. This is a normal course in most of the growing children.

A Late Bloomer child has a problem with speed of gene process and appropriateness of it. He or she is a slow track person.   A Child Prodigy which is polar opposite of Late Bloomer is also outside normal in gene processing and its appropriateness. In a child prodigy genes pertaining to narrow areas of domain like pure mathematics number games, chess game, Music,  mature much faster and to a much larger degrees resulting in superior talent in those narrow domains. The child would be classified a Child Prodigy hence a celebrity.  Mistake here this child has a highly developed gift due genetic abnormal process and hence showing superior intelligence in narrow realms which may or may not be applicable in real adult world.  Celebrated child prodigy can grow with a trademark of super intelligent and will not have developed other abilities needed to handle complex situations in adult life. Many of the Child prodigies fail to make a mark in later life like they did while in grade school environment and this rejection and disappointment that they are not used to, may even turn off genes that were responsible for the Prodigious performances.
Late bloomers are also abnormal in pace of gene processing. They are slow track children. There needed talents are still dormant in them. Traits and gifts they develop as children are not age appropriate. This invariably results in environmental disharmony and will be labeled lazy, irresponsible, nonconformist, obstinate, rebellious, wayward, and many more. This hostile treatment they face on a day to day basis would cause enormous mental anguish, humiliation shame will only increase their determination to change this derogatory status.  They are looking for right opportunity, contingency,  good luck and many failed trial and error to accomplish their goal only make them strong willed. They grow up looking on the outside a Failure.  Over and top of that they may face unexpected impediments and brick walls that life throws at you  Financial Health other problems with the job etc.  They are really hardened now and they are late into adulthood, then their genes processes start to kick in.  With the added qualities of grit determination and hard-work they have developed because of early hardships, the genes processes result in abilities far  beyond the normal taking a trajectory up and they are really the adult prodigies with long lasting durable success in life.
Sriranga

Religion God and Blind Faith

Religion God and Blind Faith for Blog:
Religious faith is embraced without questions or doubts, based on the belief that religious messages have come from the God. The religious-faiths are based on thousands of years old phenomena or stories, and we are asked to put our whole faith on them without question or doubt. This proposal certainly undermines our human intelligence.  In my view, religion must have spiritual, logical, and philosophical basis, and it should be established through self-understanding and self-experiences, not through ignorance.
Religious faiths dominate our lives, and interfere with our daily affairs. Such interference often create various practical problems in our societies. The reason for this contradiction is the fact that – we have too many competing religions on earth, promoting contradictory guidelines that often clash with one another. People have been using God, and religions for various personal, political, social, and financial gains. In fact, religious-faith is the most exploited, distorted, manipulated, and misunderstood subject in the human history.
The ancient Indian spiritual/philosophical scriptures (Veda, Upanishad, Puran, etc.), address to all human-beings, not a particular sect. They were written long before Moses (1300 – 1150 BC), and there were no other known organized religions on the earth at the time, meaning they were written for the entire humankind.
There lived in North West Part of India then called Pear shaped Peninsula lived people who were guided by Wise-men. No ruler or king existed then. No religion or religious leader. Hindu Legend says; they were perhaps whispers of God, or maybe insights of the wise. They gave the world meaning and life a purpose. These chants relieved vedana, the yearning of the restless human soul, hence became collectively known as the Veda. Those who heard them first came to be known as the Rishis. Based on what the Veda revealed, the Rishis created a society where everything had a place and where everything changed with rhythmic regularity. The Brahmans were the teachers of this society, the Kshatriyas its guardians, the Vaishyas its providers and the Shudras its servants. Thanks to the Veda, everyone in this society knew that the life they led was just one of many. In other lives, past or present, the Shudra of this life would be a Vaishya, and the Kshatriya would be a Brahman, or perhaps a rock or plant or beast, maybe even a god or a demon. Thus everything was interconnected and everything was cyclical. The point of existence in this dynamic, ever-changing world then was not to aspire or achieve, but to introspect. It is a way of life and no clear religion. It was called Dharma way of living.
 According to this faith, God established the religion on earth for humankind and He is the protector of his religion; humankind is asked to propagate His messages only. This faith espouses all embrace doctrines – such as – As many views, as many ways, and all paths lead to the same destination.
 Preachers, Sadhus, Gurus, Sannyshis, etc. took advantage of this view and started to propagate their views or interpretations in their own ways, creating various sub-faiths within the umbrella of Dharma. Self interest of those propagators – superstitions and ritualistic practices have taken hold, and Dharma lost its central theme of self-liberation through spiritual knowledge, yoga, meditation, etc. Even though a few spiritual branches of Dharma exist in the world, primarily it is practiced as various sectarian ritualistic faiths, filled with superstitions.  As one of the oldest religious faiths on earth, containing all  views, Dharma could have been the faith of all human-beings. I believe – it did not happen that way due to the self-interest and sectarian politics of various propagators.
As per Darwin’s Theory of evolution (1859), the human race descended from the animal species, meaning human species are improvised animal species, evolved over millions of years. Therefore, it is natural that humans may still possess/share some of the animalistic characteristics. Humans have given up many animalistic characteristics as they evolved. We can find many in the society, who look just like human, talk like human – but behave like animals. Therefore, our behaviors can only differentiate us from the animal. The basic human characteristics that distinguish us from the animal are the tenets of the human religion (humanity).
 All living beings play certain roles in maintaining the ecological balance, meaning we all have certain purposes as well as responsibilities on this earth. We need to respect the rights and privileges of all living-beings on the earth. The essence of a religion, is to provide knowledge and guidance to find our rights and privileges, and purposes of our lives. We should seek God through our intelligence, not through our ignorance, superstitions, and blind-faith. After all, God is a concept and religion is a practice.

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple My real feelings

Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple


Main travel destination for domestic Indian travelers are to umpteen number of Hindu temples. .  Sigandur Chowdeshwari temple is one of them.  It is located in a small village of Sigandur also called  Dasarighatta near Tiptur of Tumkur District..  It is in an area with back water of Sharavathi before it falls into Jog.  It is 202 km from Bangalore and 317 km from Mysore. It is like 4 hours from Bangalore may be 6 hours from Mysore. You will have to reach Sagar and from there to a small village called Tumari where two ferries are launched run till 5:00 pm carrying vehicles and passengers to the other side of backwaters of Sharavathi to a village called Kalasavalli and Sigandur is like 10 km from this village.  Karnataka Tourism advertises this temple is abode of Chowdeshwari incarnation of Parvathi who is suppose to be very powerful and just a visit and offering prayers to this Goddess; she will solve any problem before going to court.  Large number of devotees come here, clearly to take blessing from this Goddess to solve their problem without them doing much.
 We were at Shivamoga and took the journey from there to Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple. Route 206/148 Bangalore/Honavar Highway for 10 miles into it we reach a bifurcation where it Main Highway 206 continues to Sagar and a left sided State Highway 52 is road that takes you Kollur Mookambika. It is winding way  becomes mountainous also called Sampekatte Kollur road has a distance to 72 miles to Kollur.  Approximately 3 hours. Roughly 10 miles from Kollur there is deviation to Sigandur from 52. This road is called Sigandur road is under construction to an asphalt road still in gravel and mud stage. Driving is hard and slow bumpy. It is 37 km drive could take one hour or more.  This way you could visit famous Kollur Mookambika and Sigandur in one trip in one day and return to Shivamoga.
Sigandoor is a small village can’t even make out or even completely missed it because of the Temple and surrounding areas are being developed using heavy construction materials.  Soil here is like Iron ore containing soil of Kemmannugundi or Bababudangiri.  Red and dusty, stains your clothes and footwear.  After you park your vehicle and leaving your footwear you will have to walk on rough gravel road and enter inside a large hall covered with metal sheet where people congregate probably for meals offered by the temple and Homas are performed.
The Legend says; Long time ago there was a king in Kingdom of Nandavara   is called Nandavaram in Telugu is located in the State of Andhra and is near Kurnool.
Nandavaram is a small village in the Banagana Palli town (mandal) of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. Nandavaram is earlier days called as Nandavarapuram and in much earlier days it is called as Anandavarapuram.

The village is best known for the famous Chowdeshwari Devi [KasiVishalakshi] temple. It is said that the Goddess Chowdeshwari has come all the way from Varanasi to Nandavaram via an underground tunnel [which you can see in the temple premises] in just one day.
The King of Nandavaram simply called Chakaravarthi of Nandavaram. He was an ardent worshipper of Goddess Chowdeshwari (Kasi Vishalaxi).  Since there was no Chowdeshwari temple in Nandavaram, he went to Kasi every morning and returned by evening. This could do it because of some mystic Magical Power bestowed on him by Goddess Chowdeshwari.
Once Maharani wanted to come with him with the intention of spying on him and she went there although she was in her periods. Visiting a holy shrine by wife of devotee in periods will have bad consequences. Hence King of Nandavara lost all his magical powers.  He could not return to Nandavara like he did with Magical Powers.    As the King was worried and stuck in Kasi, he met a group of Brahmins who were worshipping and doing   Chandi Homa for celestial powers. These Brahmins offered the king half of earned Punya and with that he got magical powers back.  He was able to  return to Nandavaram with his Queen the same day from Kasi  He promised these Brahmins Land and place to live and left.
 A few years later  famine hit the Kasi area and Brahmins moved out of this place came to Kurnool area and met the king and asked him to give them the land he promised. King conveniently   forgot the promise and thought he could brush aside these poor Brahmins and did not give them anything and treated them badly. Brahmins prayed to Goddess Chowdeshwari to remedy problem with the king. Chowdeshwari arrived by underground tunnel in one day to Nandavaram and King realized his mistake and offered the Brahmins the land he promised.  These Brahmins settled down in Nandavaram. These Brahmins called themselves Nandavarks and Chowdeshwari became their Family Deity.  There exists even today a Temple of Chowdeshwari on banks of Tunga at Kurnool  District at Nandawaram. This temple was built by Nandavara Chakaravarthi.
Legend says that Chowdeshwari came from Varnasi thorough underground tunnel in one day. This deity was so powerful, people who visualized died of heart attack instantly. So temple Garbagudi was shut permanently and another deity idol made which resembled the original.  The temple structure is elevated so that the current deity sits exactly above the place where he original deity resides. There is a flight on the East side of this elevated temple to go to the Garbagudi of the original Deity, but no one is allowed to go there.  The Local Brahmins who arrived here before the Varnasi Deity arrived here are called Nandavareeka Brahmins who are originally from Kasi or Varnasi.  They have contributed to this temple’s development and are only Brahmins allowed inside Garbhagruha to perform pooja.
300 years latter this incident, a Palegar called Jasavantha Raya  of Tiptur went to Nandavara and prayed sincerely to Chowdeshwari and request her to accompany in all his conquests and she did. Latter on she wanted to settle near Tiptur because it was a natural beauty with river valleys and mountains. This place then called town of Jasavantha raya now called Dasarighatta or more popularly Sigandoor.

This  Mythological story of Sigandoor and legend appears farfetched. It is after all a Myth. It looks like Chakaravarthi Nandavara lived soon after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire around middle of 1500.  Although he was called Chakaravarthi, he was only a king of a small town of Nandavaram near present day Kurnool AP. It is highly improbable he travelled to Varnasi and returned the same day. It is distance of 1500 km by national highway from Kurnool to Varnasi.  It is a jet travel to a cover a distance of 3000 km in few hours. I have a feeling this mythological story was somehow floated during those middle ages when people believed in their Kings as Vickers of God. A king of small kingdom former vassal of larger empire of Vijayanagara had now to prove his mettle when he carved out his kingdom. He let this myth spread. The fact that he left early morning at 4:00 am and returned by night indicated that his effort to maintain the clandestine story. It is possible that the King hid in his Harem along with the queen so people can believe that he is in Kasi praying to Goddess Chowdeshwari or Kasi Vishalaxi for their well being. As you know after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire there was a real fear of invasion from Muslim expansion by Deccan Sultanates and threat to their religious institutions. Similarly whole story of him and his wife who could not return to Nandavaram because of loss of Mythical Power and subsequent restoration of it by Varnasi Brahmins is also farfetched. It is possible King was tired of being boxed in his Harem decided to lead a more normal life.  The famine in Kasi and subsequent arrival of Brahmins from Varnasi and establishing in Nandavaram and arrival of Goddess Chowdeshwari through underground tunnel in 24 hours to teach the king a lesson and being entombed in a under the ground Garbagudi to prevent harm to devotees and subsequent building of over the ground Temple and consecration of a locally sculpted Chowdeshwari idol right above the original ferocious idol underground, are equally mythical. There should be more earthly explanation for it.
Less mythical would be Palegar Jasavanatha Raya 300 years later probably when Moguls were being replaced by British in Indian Subcontinent. It is realistic to think Jasavanatha Raya was trying to expand his territorial power and established a Temple in present day Sigandoor. His entire story about Chowdeshwari travelling to Sigandoor from Nandavaram is an embellishment, more likely he brought artisans and sculptors from there and carved out a similar idols at Sigandoor and sanctified it.
The present day anecdotes of many personal problems especially involving Land Disputes are as believable as any other personal anecdotes. Govt. of Karnataka and other States who unlike any other Secular Democracies in developed countries has a total control over Religious institutions especially Hindu Temples.  Their Travel Tourism Dept is promoting the beliefs of these anecdotes. Temple itself appears to have taken by this and sells Indulgences with a power to ward of house burglary and other forms of crimes against the public. I hope they will find something suitable for Chain Snatching. The sanctity of temple is diluted by turning it into commercial tourist attractions. State government blatantly indulged in diversion of the wealth of Hindu temples, and their use to fund non-Hindu purposes, is a flagrant travesty of the principle of separation of religion and State.
To the practicing Hindu all deities represent the One Supreme Reality and Being in diverse ways and forms that make the divine accessible to all levels of religious and spiritual temperaments. The images of our gods and goddesses are not just stone or metal idols. They are profound symbols and splendorous representations of the One in its many manifestations, they are holy reminders of the divine being everywhere, they are aids to meditation and worship, and they are also ceremonially sanctified centers of spiritual energy and divine grace. The exploitation of this mindset by politicians and others is a disgrace.  Scientific Community calls it a Blind faith. Blind faith is preferred to modern science and reasoning by the faithful as science would reduce sanctity of supernatural to material cold analysis.
In a culture like ours where blind faith go back thousands of years, It is also a culture where social and educational systems do not foster, and in fact discourage, questioning minds. In addition our education system does not address the issues of rationality at all. It is very skills-focused and does not attempt to encourage people to question or to think independently. The traditional administrations of our temples need revamping for modern times, such reforms and reorganization should be led by practicing Hindus and their leaders, and not by outsiders from the government or non-Hindu constituencies.