Just imagine you land up in a small dusty town early in the morning, just looking around sipping a cup of tea, a glass of chhaaya actually and you see this poor guy
oooh ! looks like a football player, missed the ball missed the goal, perhaps kicked the goal post instead, in sheer frustration
OWEE ! what is this ? another frustrated footballer ? poor chap This looks serious, must have kicked the goal post repeatedly or perhaps kicked the goal post hard to make it bigger. The goals seem too small for these guys
dear o dear ! this must be their captain, What is happening here ? this looks more serious, must be a pretty bad football team. You walk a little further look around
I don't believe this, you say,
must be their coach, the crowd perhaps ran in to the field after having lost a match and bashed up every body. broke their legs and hammered the coach
This is India, such things happen here.
Clive Lloyed's west Indies team defeated India at Calcutta, the crowd burnt the stadium.
This is India, believe me such things happen here.
OOOH WHATOO ?? The crowd broke the arm of the team manager too ? This is too much
another one ?
Aha ! karate ??
one more karate ? there must be a karate institute here, and they have a pretty bad instructor
This one looks pretty mischievous, must have done something. some big mischief.
oh No ! poor thing, so sweet she is, now what she would have done ? You are watching all this within ten minutes of your landing in this place. You begin to feel a bit uneasy now
you think of Simon and Garkunkle song, oh ! this is not good, what's wrong with this place ?
why is every other person is in bandages, have they taken a loan from the same loan shark ?
Is this place ruled by thugs ? Don't they have law in this place ? What is happening here ?
You what ? You get bashed up and come here ? You see such boards everywhere
No no no ! oh my God ! they have not spared even a poor child ?? let me run let me run away from lawless town... before some body breaks my bones..... you get up and run towards the bus station.
wait wait, don't run.....sit down, please sit down, take a deep breath, one more one more... yes yes.... take deep breath, please don't panic. Relax.... relax
what ? Relax ? how can I relax in a place where every other person is covered in bangades ?
You are in a place called PUTTUR in Andhra Pradesh..... People come here from all over south and north with broken bones. This place is special. Very unique.
PUTTUR pronounded pu like pu......... TTUR like you pronounce three or throw. Puttur.....Its not pronounced like Putter of golf
So you are in Puttur now. They have a unique herbal treatment for mending broken bones, even the most complex fractures and other bone problems. They have been doing this for generations. So I walked in to one such SHOP... yes it is a shop not a clinic. Found a lady there
she asked WHAT ?
Got scared and said nothing nothing, just walked in. I stepped out.
So there are Ladies shops where ladies do the repair job on ladies. so when my wife kicks me and kicks the refregerator I know where to take her. I walked into one such SHOP
They were thrilled to have me, very nice people offered me coffee which I gratefully accepted.
Very professional at their job. they let me take pictures, very kind of them. Thank you.
They actually are the descendants of one family, All the ' bone setters ' as they call themselves are related to each other, its been going on for generation, this must be 20th generation perhaps or more, not sure. You can see the herbal paste they apply in the plate
They grind the herb add some oil, yolk of an egg, its a family secret, make it in to a paste. normally they don't let you take picture of the herb but Mr. Raju is a very kind man, he let me take a picture of the herb.
They are Raju Brothers. educated people, as you can see from the board. Very good treatment
They have hundred percent success rate. Believe me, no nuts bolts rods. But you have to strictly follow their instructions, there are some diet restrictions too. I have seen people getting cured. Most of my class mates used to go there for fractures while I was at school. I never had to go there myself.
I am a walking disaster, I have broken other things but not myself. Three kilometers away at Islapuram, there is a hospital where same treatment is given free of charge. And there is a CHATTRAM, a hostel where people stay for free, this is run by Tirupati temple Charities.
Took an early morning train To Puttur, the coach was full of pilgrims going to Tirupati temple.
Had a window seat. Fare is 37 rupees, ticket says 115 kilometers. For less than a dollar I find myself in a place where people speak a language I don't understand. As you can see from the map, I have crossed the state border. They speak Telegu. You can well imagine how difficult it is to run this country. This country infact runs by itself. 
There were some ladies sitting opposite, they kept on eating, they brought lot of eats, a big family going on a pilgrimage.
They don't ask ' would you like to have some grapes ?
I would respectfully refuse as I will never eat grapes which have not been washed thoroughly.
No.... This was not happening
The ladies pick up a big bunch of grapes and thrust it on my hand and say EAT
I ate.
They kept on thrusting things on me and I kept on munching things happily. They gave me no options.
How sweet of them ! I never cared about unwashed grapes. Its all in the mind and the attitude. This was given with love.
I did not get sick. If I worry too much about eating unwashed grapes I WILL get sick. I am fine.
I was kicking myself for not offering them anything. There was a little girl in their family perhaps her grand daughter, not in the picture as she was sleeping most of the time. I normally carry biscuits and sweets for farmers and tribal kids. Since it was a short distance travel I did not carry anything.
I wanted to buy this cheap jewelry, the lady said, you men don't know how to buy and what to buy, she is bargaining for me saying she will pay only five rupees. I really don't mind getting cheated by ten or twenty rupees by there poor sellers, I waste a lot of money on other things. I bought four for my niece. some thin beads necklace, 5 rupees each, less than 50 cents for four pieces of jewelry.
I got off at Puttur, and the train started moving, I waved good bye to them, walking on the platform as I was groping for the ticket in the front pocket of my camera bag, I found one big fat roll of DALLAS sweets, which I bought in Mysore last month. By this time the train picked up speed, I ran after the train pushing some people, got to their window panting for breath, and gave the roll of sweets to their little grand daughter. hahaha ! I can still run very fast.
All my love
56 comments:
does that treatment actually work?
i know you mentioned that youve seen some people get cured. but that could happen by itself too, if the limb has been tied properly and is resting,
but the herb's been tested for bone setting properties? :P
Aiyoo Mystic rose, I have seen this right from my childhood. People goig to puttur, your state of Andhra. I thought Puttur is some far off place. Never knew it was so close. Takes two hours from here. I have seen people getting cured all my life. Puttur is famous.
very nice blog, Poms ! funny yet informative ! this information is new to me, didn't know about "bone-setters" before. Need to learn a lot more about my country. See you soon. *hugs*
Aree ghodee boo ! you and Mystic rose both come from the same state for god's sake. I'll break your bones and take you there. You know what sweet booey, there are women 'bone setters' too. Ok you hit me I hit you we both go there.
Better to go there kick each other right in front of a bone setter shop.
ummmmmmmmmmmmmas and hugs
St. Rauf, I wish I knew more about natural remedies. I've never broken a bone either, but if I did, now I know where to go. "Wait, hold on, Don, I can't go to the Mason clinic, I have to go to Putter, my chances are better!"
I'm home this morning, and dialup is taking forever to load your 80,000 photos. I'll look at them all later at work. ;) Lovies!
I'm just teasing you, Rauf. It only seems like 80,000 because it's S - O S - L - O - W. But I shouldn't tease online, because I can't jab you in the side with my elbow and you might think I'm serious! I love every one of your photos.
et tu Ruth ? Oh my god ! everybody is pulling my leg today. Ruth has joined them too. hahaha !
Too many things Ruth, i am going to Silent valley again next week, My friend is treating cerebral palsy with herbs its tribal medicine, I'll start a blog for him. he is actually my friend Nancy's uncle who lives in Dallas.
there are many more. I'll cover these in a couple of months. The problem is they have absolutely no record of their treatment and cure. I have been insisting on it.
but they are not interested in promoting themselves.
Every one has his own secret which they don't like to divulge. there's a lot here Ruth. Some are very allergic to reporters and cameras. I may even get bashed up.
Along with some genuine treatments there are many hoax stories too. This is India. You don't know whom to believe as there is no record.
you have to just trust them. I am pretty skeptical about it. For every ten genuine herbal medicine practitioners there are ten thousand faith healers who are only intersted swindling people.
My friend in silent valley does it free. He says nature gives me the cure and I cannot take money for it.
lots of love Ruth.
i felt the jab Ruth and my rib is broken, now I have to go to Puttur, in one of the pictures there is a guy with a bandage around his chest, broken ribs perhaps. I'll be like him
there are two guys in that picture one is an old man with a broken arm. Have a good day Ruth.
Ruth many claim to have cured cancer too. Where is the person you have cured ?? No they don't know. How would you believe them ?
perhaps its just as well that no scientific studies are made, becos if they were, can you imagine, the biiig pharmaceutical companies will immediately start patent work..and who can afofrd thsoe medicines after that?
The "magic" of ancient natural remedies dearest Rauf...
I grew up amidst midwifes and shamans and herbal stores.
In Argentina all practices were/are acceptable.
Even Iridiology and Homeopathy, which are making some indent here in NA - except that there, you first had to have a medical degree and then do the "specialty".
Often docs would sent a patient to a shaman as they claimed not to be able to cure it. For me, if it works, it works - what is the argument on the method!?
I applaud the practive of what we here call "alternative medicine" (power to the people).
Love the fact you ate the grapes and all they gave you.
Another nice, nice post my dear, kind (but not saintly) friend
Love and lots of huuuuuugs
There truly is much wisdom in many "natural" approaches. I remember that my mother was made to drink onion syrup as a child, when she got a cold. It worked. And now, of course, we know that onions kill some germs and reduce inflammation.
Very "sweet" ending to a funny story (á la Hollywood)!
So Puttur is the Lourdes of the broken bones? Well, if it works, don't knock it!
I was struck by the comment you made about travelling only 115 km and encountering a different language. How many languages are spoken in India? I'm thinking about China and the hundred of languages they were using until Mao demanded that all Chinese learn Mandarin first (and their own dialect second). No matter how we might feel about Mao, this has been a positive step for China. Do you think India will ever consider doing that? And isn't English widely spoken?
Sorry for all those questions, but I find your country fascinating.
Have a good week-end and rest up before your next adventure!
Mystic Rose, scientific studies have been made and doctors have been going to Puttur but nothing conclusive came out of it. Same like Ayurveda Siddha and other herbal treatment. No concrete evidence and record of treatment and cure. Every vegetable fruit or leaf has properties, mostly positive some negative. Neem and cucumbar for instance are widely used everywhere. Big multi nationals can't patent those. Eating one apple is fine more than one leads to constipation. This property can be used. Reverse is goa fruit. Goa fruit works very well for me. Same with pea nuts or ground nut as we call here. I eat lots. Those ladies in the train gave me lots of masala peanuts. I knew I was munching them with glee at a wrong time as I couldn't say no to those sweet ladies. It showed its effect as I had to rush to toilet when I reached home.
Count the number of produtcs of a palm tree. Same with peanuts.
Hi Angel,
one thing is sure, there are no harmful side effects. they may not work but they will not damage anything. Broad spectrum anti biotics are not supposed to harm the host in theory. Now they have gone synthetic. There are harmful side effects. molds or Fungi (as antibiotic) were used in ancient China for infections, mostly during wars.
If you have stomach disorder, ten people would give you ten different remedies. Now you are going to kick me Angel. If I have an ijnury, I apply my spit and leave it. please don't laugh. It gets covered in a day. It is perhaps more than 30 years since I have taken any anti biotic. I carry paracetemol for fever in my camera bag while traveling for emergencies but never take it. I used to give medicines to fellow passengers in a train. now i am afraid to offer. What if this guy dies. so I consult the other passengers make them aware that this chap is sick, can i give the medicine ? I explain what I am giving. Things are not the same Angel.
Anatomically we humans are all the same. Same function, same order. But metabolism could be different.
You have to guide me here Angel. This may be due to different blood groups ? What agrees with me may not agree with you. Cucumber may be fine with you but I start sneezing immediately. Hibiscus leaf powder is an excellent shampoo. but only in warm conditions could be dangerous in cold countries. there are so many alternatives to soap Angel.
Elephants are known to eat some particular leaves when they are sick. Other animals perhaps do the same.
lots of love and hugs Angel.
Everybody is wise Mr. Barkath. soon every individual discovers what suits him or her and what doesn't. different allergies have sprung up from nowhere. My mom used to give us garlic. Now you get garlic pearls. Tobacco is applied for infections. I advise them to go to a doctor. I have seen it working. If the have faith, it works. Our body has the capacity to heal itself.
Awh .... dearest Rauf,
The pharmaceuticals are ahead of you... sorry
((hug))
Isabella, Lourdes is purely faith.
Perhaps this too. Its all in the mind and the attitude. Plain glass of water may work wonders if taken with faith.
There are 14 official languages in India. and hundreds of local languages and dialects, many of them like Coorgi and Tulu have no script. Tribals in Tamil Nadu forests speak a language which sounds like Tamil but it is not.
In a small state of Gujrat five or six different languages are spoken. they all sound like gujrati but they are quite different. Malayalam of south kerala is different from north. Change in accent makes it difficult for a south keralite to understand the malayalam of a north keralite.
Language as you can see is a complex issue in India, resulting in many riots. Imposition of Hindi, primarily a north Indian language, produced violent results in Tamil Nadu, where as other southern states seemed to have accepted itto a certain extent. On paper they all want to throw English out of India. but English schools are most sought after in all the states of India.
Children who studied all subjects like Science history in local languages are jobless, no one wants them. Yet the local governmets promote the study of all subjects in local languages. Imagine the confusion Isabella. Standard of education has come down drastically in all states. illiteracy rules all over India.
Kerala Claims 100 percent literacy. but the standard of education is very poor there, perhaps poorest in India. We have a master's degree holder who is as ignorant as a cow.
Unity in india is a miracle Isabella. the country runs by itself. We had disasterous results trying to unify India by imposing one language.
I can say English is understood and spoken only in urban India.
there are thousands of English words 'Indianised' or integerated in Indian languages. Indian English is unique. There are hundreds of accents. An Englishman cannot understand the English of a Bengali or a Gujrati or a Tamilian. For instance a SHOP is pronounced SOPE in gujrat. 'WELL WISHER' is pronounced BHALE BISER in W.Bengal or Orissa. EMPLOYMENT is pronounced EMBLOIMANTE in Kerala, Internet is HINDERNATE its fun here Isabella
And Isabella, best of English is only found in India, perhaps better than England itself. My English is very bad. You'll find people speaking impeccable English in all Indian cities and towns, their accent may be different.
Dearest Angel,
there is money in pharmaceuticals, they guarentee quick results. not much money in herbal medicine and the cure is slow. The biggest disadvntage is surgery. I cannot seek herbal treatment for Appendicites. I have to rush to a hospital and have it removed as I did 30 years ago.
lots of love and hugs
I saw a programme recently which show ed how a guy in india invented plastic surgery around the time of alexander, whenever that was!
I think referring to all these treatments as just herbal may not be correct. The way they visually judge the severity of a fracture is probably the real secret.
Chinna Mala, A paste applied on the skin cannot heal a fracture. Amruthanjan applied on the head cannot rid one of head ache, it goes by itself. Its psychological, its all in the head.
In early eightees I was managing himalayan trekking camps in northern himachal. We had supplies, blankets tents and free apple juice cans for trekkers given by Govt. of Himachal. Our first aid kit was a huge aluminium trunk. Filled with useless japanese cream given free by japanese govt. They did not know what to do with it, so it was distributed in all the camps.
Down the valley in a village called malana as usual only women worked men just gambled with money earned from selling charas which grew like grass there. They just drink and fight. one early morning a couple of them came complaining of stomach ache. I had two of strips of Baralgan in my camera bag, gave one each to them. next day more people lined up. I thought I'll get bashed up if I run out of my stock. We were supposed to maintain good relations with them. So I took a bottle of the japanese cream pale white in colour. khamees uthaaro I said, remove your shirt, made him lie down, applied little bit of the cream on his tum and told him to go. ' ab jaao ' Did the same for others too. I went down to the village in the evening. Few of them came and fell at my feet. From next day my tent became a hospital, no harm, same treatment every day for more than a month. Half the bottles were still left un opened by the end of the camp.
OK dear Dr. Rauf
A paste may not heal a fracture but the peace of mind that the belief brings certainly contributes to the well being of the individual, thus facilitating a quick healing.
The Chistian Scientists, among others, do prescribe to the practice of self-healing.
A (Geophysicist) friend of mind - a stong believer - did not allow her son's armt to be placed in a cast as she believed (and rightly so) that the bone will heal itself - in about eight weeks? :)
Now, about the spit, another friend of mine of hefty scotish stock was a staunch advocate of his own urine... donno what he uses nowadays, as for me, any wound with a good soapy wash left alone works "miracles".
HErbal medicines on the other hand "are" just what the word implies, medicinal.
I am not only intolerant to all medication, except for Tylenol (go figure!) I have to be very careful with medicinal teas also as they can make me ill...
You are sooooo right about the diverse methabolisms and blood types! HA
The big corps. are patenting seeds and some plants already, of course there is a movement to spot them, but who knows what's really going on?
Still..., there was this huge awsome looking, giant kind of bee that got inside the living room today and could not find its way out for a long time - I finally decided to evacuate it - I don't recall to have ever seen anything that big and brightly red on the lower back - truly beautiful!!!
Have a great weekend my dear friend
Big hug
These guys are surely amazing...one of the bonestters has proudly displayed his qualifications - M.A! not MBBS!
Incredible India!
The herb is probably a painkiller. Or it could warm the area increasing blood circulation thereby promoting healing. So it could have a direct effect.
Thanks for putting a smile on my face ..it did attrct you to read more ..
You having a time of your life as it seems
And it was worth the run to put a smile on a childs face.
Any chance these guys could come on the Old Pretenders FC tour. We've not had many breaks but you never know.
been long since i came to this part of the wrold!!and you are doing what is expected of you!!!simply yet naother sets of awesome pics!!many of my team mates here chek your blog...along with me!!!!
Dearest Angel,
From a saint to a Doctor, Good promotion. Is it ?
Friends are here from abroad Angel, been out with them, sorry for the delay in response. I'll be traveling for a week again.
In next couple of months i am planning to go to some places of herbal treatment. Though I am not qualified to make a thorough study, I will present both sides. I have seen it working in many cases. Faith works wonders. Every fruit vegetable leaf has properties, some have medicinal qualities. I'll have a post on this subject in detail Angel.
Lots of love and hugs
MagicEye, oh yes Only in India. I have seen some amazing boards in Delhi, claiming to be doctors with
FRCS and other degrees of specialisation running to 3 or four lines after the name of the doctor who would have barely crossed high school. Yes This is India.
Hi Nasra,
I keep going to surrounding places, this place Puttur is just 115Kilometers and left early in the morning and was back in the afternoon. Plnning to lot more traveling this year, all depends on the money i have. Going to Hyderabad for a week. There is so much to learn Nasra. I feel so ignorant.
Not a chance FOUR DINNERS, Your junior girl's football team can defeat our most professional men's football team. Football is popular only in 2 states, West Bengal and Kerala have to add Goa too. Its a different matter when it comes to Cricket One day our team defeats mighty Australia. Next day they lose the match to an infant team like Kenya.
Chinna, yes it works like pain killer too. Dr. Eugene was here yesterday he says what we apply on the skin can peneterates to the bone. depends on the structure of the paste or medicine. So my assumption was wrong. Going to Hyderabad
Hi Vinay, sory I have not been visiting blogs, friends have come, going out and traveling with them.
hope you and friends are doing fine
My dear Friends,
I am traveling again, This time towards Hyderabad. I'll be back in 6 days. Hope you all are doing fine
Please take care, I'll be careful too as my friends have advised me.
All my love
Rauf
I always look forward to discovering something totally new and interesting when I visit your blog and your never disappoint.
Hope you're having a wonderful week, Rauf! =)
Travel well!
Take good care sweet Rauf.
I'll be looking out for post and your visit upon your return...
Lotas of love and hugs
hello Rauf!Hope you are doing great.
Funny, informative post. I was wondering in the beginning where you were heading with all that talk about broken bones and football match :D
Just curious Rauf.. where do the "bone-setters" get these herbs from and who gets it for them?
Have a nice trip :)
hi Rauf that is truly amazing, do they not use plaster at all, is it just herbs and bandages? so glad you can still run fast and gave the sweets to the little girl!
hmmm...
where r u?
Hi Irene
sorry for the delay I was away, strange experiences wait for me. I find them everywhere in India.
Hope you are doing fine Irene.
Dear Ruth,
I think I am not made for long distance road travel though the car or what you call a SUV was comfortable. Two of my friends were with me. The distance was too long. well laid highways close to international standards. Now I know what to avoid. I don't like this business like highways, no interaction with locals. Once you take diversion and move away from highways and get into country roads life becomes intersting.
Hi Rauf
Sorry I haven't been for a visit for awhile. You do take wonderful pictures and it is nice that you share them here. I throughly enjoy your train pictures. I've updated my blog I have for my Dad's Trains, hope you were by to see the latest pictures.
Take care my Friend
Bill
Hi Angeldust,
Nothing much to write about this trip by road, by superfast highways. I am beginning to understand the problems in europe and the US, Expressways and autobahns are good to reach a place faster, closed in a comfortable cage but completely alienated from locals you pass, you hardly feel the place.
lots of love and Hugs Angeldust.
Hi e2dees, came back yesterday, with all nuts and bolts loose. Went by road.
these herbs are local. They don't like any discussion on this subject. We'll go silent valley e2dees, we'll meet my friend who is a vaithiyar, he collects all the herbs from silent valley.
Me doing not very great e2dees.
going to Banaras on 10th.
HERINDOORS, this has been going on for hundreds of years, long before x-ray machines came. they all are descendants of one family. The herbs may not be a big secret. by sheer experience they guess the exact nature of fracture without an x-ray. Hospitals x-rays plaster is the most prefered treatment.
mystic rose, I am not here
Hi Bill, thank you sure i will.
I love trains
posted quite a few in a blog titled 'eight rupee pleasure' some months ago, please see when you find time. Hope you arte doing fine.
Bill, here's the link
http://whitesroad.blogspot.com/2006/09/eight-rupee-pleasure.html
Long time since here..so many ppl woth fracture u were outside the clinc clicking all the guys coming out kya ;-) Interesting article though never had heard of Puttur
I couldn't agree with you more, Rauf. My brother Bennett, the one who reminds me of you in many ways (and same birth year), taught me at a young age to love the side roads and avoid highways. I still would much rather take side roads and would love to take a long road trip on 2-lane Route 66, across the US.
Lesley said something interesting. On Valentine's Day in NYC, she was so happy to see men walking on the sidewalk with flowers in their hands. In Michigan she was always in her car, but now, ironically in the Big and Wicked City, she can see people's faces. I don't think these faces are always pleasant or happy, but it's as you say, they are not in a speeding car behind a windshield. Even in NY people connect.
You are wise not to like highways, Rauf.
et bien dis-donc que de photos de blessés!
très beau reportage!
Hi Sangita,
No, These people with bandages, casts are all over the town, more near railway and bus stations.
Dear Ruth, Route 66 is a dream road, have heard so much about it but haven't seen any good pictures.
I am wondering if Thelma and Louse was shot there as it crosses Arizona. Not sure.
What I miised was interaction with locals. I think the villagers are scared of high speed highways, they don't come near it. This is the price you have to pay for progress. My friends are happy driving on the highways. I was restless and felt I was in a fast moving cage. I love passing through villages, stop and have a cup of tea and chat with them. Even if you are quiet they come and ask you where you are from and where you are heading to. When you stop at the highway filling stations, no one talks to you.
admire your sense of humour
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