Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Stay away from this Temple feast

Visit to a Temple [or any other religious place] is always a great experience. It brings peace to our mind and washes away depression and sorrows. We get 'prasadam', which we eat with reverence and gratitude with the belief that it will make us better in body and mind.
When we see frequently devotees getting sick after pilgrimage to a particular Temple, our suspicions are raised. For last few years, I am seeing devotees getting sick within few days of their travel to Mookambika Temple at Kollur, Karnataka. Many had a severe form of typhoid, some had jaundice due to Viral Hepatitis, and most had an acute self-limiting diarrhoeal disease. Almost all my patient devotees had taken the Temple feast. I strongly suspect either there is fecal contamination of the water used for drinking /cooking, or one of the food handler may be a carrier for such disease causing organism. I had informed this to local Public health authorities, but it seems not much action had been taken as the Temple is in a different State. So now it is wiser to stay away from the temple feast there to maintain the health of our body. Or will the Temple authorities of one of the most famous Devi Temples of India wake up and act?

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