Visit to the doctor for The Healthy in Derisanamcope, Tamilnadu (Part 1)

Prologue

"Every disease is curable, but not every patient" (Hildegard von Bingen).

Tiziano Terzani, a longtime Asia correspondent of the magazine "Der Spiegel" and bestselling author devotes in his book "One more Round on the Carousel," the then thirty-two years old Ayurvedic physician Dr L Mahadevan an entire chapter under this title.

Terzanis deliberations culminate in the following statement: " dharma patana mokshanam ... this principle is the key message of the entire Ayurveda. A doctor must with the light of his knowledge rekindle the spirit of his patients and extinguish the ignorance, which is ultimately the cause of all disease. Problems can be solved only through the knowledge of the SELF (Swasta)."

By chance or fate, I have come in contact with Dr L Mahadevan through the initiative of Hariharan Mudaliar, head of the Arya Ayurvedic agency (www.aryayur.com) and visited him in January this year . During this visit, the idea of a lecture tour of Germany was created for September this year.

It is envisaged that Dr L Mahadevan will hold at various conference venues lectures or presentations. A commitment has already been made with the the Free Naturopaths eV (Freie Heilpraktiker e.V.) for the 21^stSeptember in Düsseldorf, where Dr. L Mahadevan will speak on the occasion of the annual Congress of the Federal Association about "Ayurvedic medicine and management of intervertebral disc prolapse." In addition, Dr L Mahadevan will give lectures in Hamburg (Campus of the University Hospital Eppendorf) and at two venues near Frankfurt. During these events , Dr. L Mahadevan will offer his extraordinary broad expertise to his colleagues in Germany to share their experiences and to introduce his practical implementation of holistic healing of Ayurveda medicine to the interested public.

The demon Thadaka, in suppine position in the form of a mountain
 

Derisanamcope and Surroundings

A strangely shaped mountain range, paddy fields in lush green, a holy temple, and Dr. Y. Mahadeva Iyer's Sri Sarada Ayurvedic Hospital give this area a mystical character. An ideal Ayurvedic atmosphere, an area of seclusion, peace, full of charismatic flair and radiating subtle energy.

Derisanamcope with one thousand five hundred souls is not far from Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari, the southern most district of India.

M. Lakshmana Sarma, the father of Dr L Mahadevan explained to me the meaning of the name Derisanamcope.

The original name was Thirusaramkorpu, which means as much as the arrow that was sent from God Rama. This arrow reached the demon Thadaka to the ground, where she is lying in suppine position, in the form of a mountain range, now protecting the mountain lowlands.

The Temple

 
Entrance to the temple complex      One of the buildings of the temple complex

On the mountain side at the outer edge of Derisanamcope is the thousand-year old temple complex located, surrounded by tall coconut palms and further magnificent trees.

Several buildings are dedicated to various deities. A wall around this complex provides protection against unauthorized access to this holy place, an upstream artificial pond is used for ritual purification.

The women of the family deal with the daily care of the ground and beautify the place on ceremonial occasions.

The architecture reveals amazing stone carving, which provides a solid stage of construction to the present. Nevertheless, extensive maintenance expenses might be appropriate.

Team of doctors and staff
The senior doctors

Dr. S. Ramakrishnan,DAM  Dr. K. Chidambaran,BAM     Dr. L Mahadevan, BAMS, M.D.

Dr. S. Ramakrishnan, a renowned Ayurvedic practitioner, is eighty-one years old and has worked already under the grandfather of Dr L Mahadevan . Dr. K. Chidambaran is a cousin of Dr L Mahadevan and a very experienced doctor. Dr L Mahadevan is married to Sarada . The couple has an eleven year old daughter Chandra, called Daya . In their residential home opposite the hospital live also the parents of Dr L Mahadevan, the father M. Lakshmana Sarma and the mother Chandra.

Fifteen doctors are working here and treat eighty to one hundred patients a day.
Dr L Mahadevan has trained already one thousand two hundred students in their practical year of their studies. The teaching is all about learning the practical side of ayurvedic medicine on the basis of Tridosha Sidhanta, the central concept of Ayurveda .

Schooled is here in particular the understanding and practical implementation of the overall concept of Ayurveda like attainment of harmony between the three types of constitution in direct connection with philosophical, medical aspects and physiological reality.

Dr. Y. MAHADEVA IYER'S SRI SARADA AYURVEDIC HOSPITAL

The hospital was founded in 1920 by Dr.Y.MahadevaIyer, grandfather of Dr L.Mahadevan, a highly respected physician and expert in Sanskrit and Vedic scriptures. Over the years his practice witnessed a phenomenal development.

Thanks to his tireless work as ayuvedic doctor, especially his selfless dedication to poor patients, his name and the place Derisanamcope is now inseparable.

The complex of buildings for residential treatment is about one hundred meters from the junction with the main road.

A patient may here bring a companion and share a room. For the accompanying person no charges will be made. However, this person should bring his own sheets and towels from home.

From the wide spectrum of diseases treated some are mentioned, such as stroke,neurological diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, various cancers, multiple sclerosis, andskin conditions.

It should be emphasized that in Derisanamcope not diseases are treated, but patients.This specific Ayurvedic approach is slowly recognized as a model approach in western culture, going back to the insight of the father of psychosomatic medicine, Sir William Osler, who said "do not tell me, what disease the patient has, but tell me what kind of patient has the disease."

The hospital does much charity work, particularly for the poor. Every Friday poor patients will be treated free of charge, including medical consultation and care. In some cases, food and accommodation, is a also granted free of charge.

The " Dr. L. Mahadevan Ayurveda Foundation " is geared towards the integration of ancient Ayurvedic traditions with modern clinical medicine. Here, a high level of profound knowledge is required of both traditional medicine as well as of modern clinical medicine.

In addition, Dr. L. Mahedevan takes part in a regular health program, presented on Saturdays on television, in which he expresses in an advisory capacity on health issues.

He is involved in several clinical studies , has published several books, such like a “Hand book and colour atlas of Ayurvedic Dermatology & Venereology”,also “Siddha Medicines in the perspective of Tridosha Theory” and “Siddha Formulary for Vata Rogam”.

Further more, Dr L Mahadevan conducts a practice in Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamilnadu on the east coast of South India on the Bay of Bengal, where he also resides on a regular basis .

His self-taught knowledge acquired in traditional medicine and his cooperative willingness to share experiences with colleagues from the traditional clinical medicine is highly valued by the latter and respectfully acknowledged.

So it is not surprising that the tireless efforts for the benefit of needy of this charismatic man has been recognised by the health authorities thus granting him the "Best Doctor Award”, which he received in 2012 from the Minister of Health in Tamilnadu .

End of Part 1 - read Part 2 here


 

Dates and topics during Dr. L. Mahadevan visit in September 2014 in Germany:

1) 12th to the 14th September 2014 - 16th International Ayurveda Symposium, Birstein
 Title of presentation:
"MANAGEMENT OF NEUROPATHIES BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF AYURVEDA - A CONCEPTUAL & CLINICAL STUDY"
 
2) 15th September 2014, Ayurveda Portal; Niedernhausen
Topic: LIVE-INTERVIEW during the morning.

3) 17th September 2014, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
 Topic: AYURVEDA AND NEURAPATHY MANAGEMENT: ACCORDING TO THE OLDEST EXPERIENCE-BASED-MEDICINE

4) 21st September 2014 ,  Freie Heilpraktiker e.V., Kongress, Düsseldorf (Holistic Practioner Congress)
Topic: MENTAL DISEASES IN AYURVEDA AND ITS MANAGEMENT - TRIDOSHIC PERSPECTIVE OF MANIA AND DEPRESSION