With bags packed and nowhere to go, Tara’s plans are crushed by the COVID pandemic. Waiting it out at home and watching tragic deaths around her, makes her furious and helpless at the same time. An animated conversation with her grandfather about the impending vaccination, adds fuel to the fire!
India enabled vaccination, Nana claims. What an absurd thing to say! More than seven decades after independence there is hardly any infrastructure in place to respond to this pandemic. It is impossible that a dilapidated system like this can make such a tall claim. Tara sets out to prove Nana wrong.
What she discovers in the process boggles her mind and shatters her world view. The colonial plunder extends far beyond her imagination. This is a journey every Indian must take with Tara because, in many ways, this is the story of all of us.
Praise for Shitala:
Mitra has taken up a complex subject, peeled back all but the critical core and has set out the fundamental truths of Dharma in a simple, understandable, and enjoyable form. Shitala is a fascinating read. After all, as observed by great Mark Twain, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”
– Foreword – Nilesh Nilkanth Oak
Bestselling author of Rama Ravana Yudh – 12209 BCE
Mitra Desai combines ineluctable historic facts cocooned inside the story of a family that could be almost any Indian family. It is woven around a delightful story in exactly the same way that our own Indian epics and narratives inform us of our past via the medium of enchanting stories. Thank you for writing this Mitra Desai. I recommend this book to all Indians. You will not regret reading it.
– Dr Shiv Sastry
Surgeon and author of Aryan Invasion: Myth or Fact? Uncovering the evidence.
Want to educate the masses? Do it through storytelling like ‘Shitala’! This book is an eye-opener as it narrates the Ayurvedic references of Shitala, Masurika and contemporary references of their Bharatiya treatment in a refreshing manner. The author has made an extraordinary effort to show unknown historical facts, the light of day. I congratulate her and thank her as well on behalf of the entire Ayurvediya Vaidya fraternity.
-Dr Pareexit Shevde
MD (Ayu.) and author of Gharoghari Ayurved.
Umeshnayak –
Excellent
Vasudev Laxmeshwar –
Nice book to know the hard work done by scientists.
Krishnan P E –
Waiting
Savitri Mumukshu –
Shitala – How India enabled vaccination by Mitra Desai is a truly engrossing and unique tale that weaves together several seemingly disparate themes. In a year when the Covid pandemic is paramount on everyone’s minds, this novelette delves into a thrilling revelation & perspective about ancient India’s millennia-old knowledge, regarding its unknown past of using scientific methods for smallpox vaccination. The fact that the disease and its symptoms were well known and treated with advanced methods and instruments for centuries before the world even recognized the epidemic, is an eye-opener. What is truly ingenious about the author however is her ability to ingeniously interweave the personal narrative between a teenager, Tara and her grandfather, Nana, into a seamless investigation of historical evidence that provides irrefutable proof of India’s immense scientific contributions in the realm of medicine thousands of years ago.
Initially, as a typical teenager, Tara outright ridicules & rejects her grandfather’s suggestion that Ancient India already possessed knowledge about smallpox vaccination. She sets out to prove him wrong, but as she delves into her research, a trail of increasing evidence shakes her confidence and finds her questioning the conventional concepts she believed were the truth. As she unearths more evidence that validates Nana’s claim, Tara begins viewing her grandfather’s wisdom with a newfound respect and experiences the frustration of belonging to a culture that is repeatedly denied its rightful place as a leading light in the history of human medicine.
In the process of Tara’s re-education, the reader also learns that centuries before the rest of the world even knew what smallpox was, Indians were identifying, observing, treating and inoculating against the deadly epidemic. So much so that the scientific process for treating the disease became integrated into the religious tradition of Shitala Mata – referring to the goddess who cures and heals victims from smallpox.
The ongoing conversations between Tara & Nana advance the plot & reveal further hidden facets of Devi Shitala’s worship and how the iconography associated with her, in reality, depicts a riveting metaphor for the scientific processes related to smallpox vaccination. Interspersed with Tara’s journey to truth are significant historical snippets informing us how specific families & professions were trained on tools & biological materials for the particular purpose of inoculating against the deadly disease. Additionally, Tara discovers the contempt and outright dismissive attitude of Western scientists who had knowledge about such Indian methods. Facts mingle with descriptions of the awakening consciousness of the teenager as she finds her intellectual perceptions based on a faulty & limited foundation of Indian history. The more she is intrigued by her grandfather’s stories, scientific details and wisdom, the more she learns that many Hindu legends have symbolic meanings that point to their actual scientific origin. Consequently, her rational mind begins rejecting the narrow-minded version of world history that ignores and minimizes the contributions of Indian culture.
The likeable characters, the casual unfolding of historical facts, the nuanced explanations of religious symbolism all combine to turn this novelette into a fascinating read. The language is often evocative and brings up fragrances of Tara’s mother preparing home-cooked food, visions of Nana’s voice chanting timeless prayers which echo across the home and the soft wonder of a dream where the divine himself offers Tara guidance on her future path. The novelette beautifully touches upon the all too important subject of how the new generation of Indian youth can learn from the invaluable wisdom of elders like Nana & lead the way in unearthing factual evidence of India’s immeasurable contributions to science through the ages. This, as Tara learns from Krishna, is her Karmic duty and that of every young Hindu in this age in order to enlighten & benefit the world.
Mruga Kirloskar –
I have been following the author’s journey and her blog ‘Tejomaya Bharat’ ( Dazzling India) where she shares untold stories of our great Bharat…Stories that are backed by sound research and facts.
When she announced that she was working on a book about how Bharat played a huge role in enabling vaccination, I was eager to know more. Having pre-ordered my copies no sooner it was announced, I finished reading this gem of a book as soon as it arrived in the mail.
It is unputdownable from the word go! The language is easy to follow for all age groups and the story unfolds in the form of a conversation between a grandfather (Nana) and his sharp-witted granddaughter ( Tara) a situation that most of us can relate with.
The facts that Mitra has shared will blow you away! It will make you proud and angry at the same time. It will make you wonder, why was this never ever shared with us?? Why has the world NEVER acknowledged the contribution of India in the field of vaccination?
The truth is out there, waiting for you to discover it! And as you will discover, this Truth can be stranger and more fascinating than fiction.
The book is an eyeopener for readers and seekers of all ages. I strongly recommend that you read it first yourself, read it to your children/grandchildren, buy copies and share it with your friends. The relevance of this book is more so, given the current pandemic that the world is facing. It will make you feel proud of our heritage and restore your faith in Indian scientists, researchers and the science of Ayurveda.
Also a huge shout out to Falguni Gokhale for the amazing cover design!!
I can’t wait for the next book! All the best Mitra, super proud of you.
Get your copy today:
Paperback in India – https://subbupublications.com/product/shitala-how-india-enabled-vaccination/
Outside India – Available in kindle and paperback on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XZQJL6B
Manjunath R Beliraya (verified owner) –
I loved the way facts are intertwined with the story and that the tone is not preachy! It was well researched and providing all the references really helped!
Hope there is a series planned out around this as this has so much potential! Looking forward to where this goes…
A must read book for kids to make them aware of the Grand Narrative of our civilization!
Also waiting for the History of Hindu Civilization and other books from Subbu Publications…
Chandrashekhar S –
The book is so nice. I connected with so many aspects of it on different levels, spiritually as well as personally. I could see myself engaging in such conversations with my grandparents growing up. It has rekindled my interest to read on topics that shed light on India’s past, religious practices, their importance and significance.
My young daughter loved it and thought it was as easy and delightful as Sudha Murthy’s books. It’s a must-read for young ones and adults alike.
Gauri Apte –
This is great little book that is both entertaining as well as educational. Suitable for both children and adults alike, it tells a nice story while also bringing to light India’s ancient culture and civilization.
A Ganatra –
Excellent work. Loved the book. Aabhar for penning it and so beautifully and simply.
Shitala – How India enabled vaccination – A must-read book for all Indians, a book to be shared and read with the youngsters around you. The time and relevance couldn’t be better!
It is a short book, a quick read but has such eye-opening fascinating information about the prevalence of knowledge of vaccination in India as early as 5th century CE (and possibly even before). And the information is offered by way of a story of a young girl Tara – a girl we can all relate to – well educated, has a scientific temper but little aware of India’s past. Her discussions with her Nana take us through the annals of the history of vaccination.
This one is a must-read.
Gauri –
What a eye opening book on the ancient history of vaccination in India! Such books are a must-read to understand ancient Indian history which has often been distorted under colonial and other influences.
This is a fairly short read and is both educational and entertaining. I highly recommend it.
Deepika Mahajan –
A very relevant book to today’s world. The story of the ancient Indian medical knowledge and richness needs to be known.
Themar –
Just finished reading the book. Growing up in India, used to wonder what the science behind the ritual of Shitla Mata puja was. Very interesting info. Wish this was taught in schools, our generation wouldn’t be so ignorant about the glorious past. Great effort!
Twitter review:
https://twitter.com/Sanatani_P/status/1377632439242272772
Bharti –
Have you ever questioned about a certain practice that has been carried out from generations in your house? Unfortunately, I admit that I never did. It was later that my son’s Mundan here in Australia was done by an Australian Prabhuji from Iskcon made me understand why we do it in our culture. It was then I started questioning my mother and my mother in law because I wanted to ensure I carry out those for my son as well as understand why we do it.
The book SHITALA generates exactly this curiosity amongst a novice like me as to why a certain ritual is revered so much.
This book holds you on until the word “DEVI” appears and there you go as all my memories related to Shitala Mata poojan were revived. What tremendous efforts have been put to bring to life what Shitala is and its significance in today’s modern science that has inspired to lead to vaccination?
The style of writing is so effective that I finished this book in 3 hours (with intended breaks and time with my lil one) because I was curious to uncover that Shitala Mata is not just another goddess we pray to. Have you ever recalled your childhood days when you got chickenpox and it was addressed as “DEVI” and you thought why?
This book will answer all your questions with the science surrounding it. As a civilization, we were so advanced that imagine a complex process of inoculation finds its place in Sushrut Samhita. I was swelling in pride because of how as a civilization we have preserved our knowledge back then.
I want to congratulate Mitraji because she has very effectively decolonized our minds because today’s generation has very little to no access to our ancient knowledge
A lot of efforts have been put in to make sure that at any point you aren’t overwhelmed and you just want to continue reading.
We Sindhis celebrate “Shitala Mata jo Thado” which basically involves eating the cooked food a day prior and on that day of the festival we don’t light the Chula/gas in our homes.I am definitely sure that there is something to do with eating these pre-cooked meals at the festival.
I highly recommend this book as it suits every age. The language used is so simple and subtle as I am not a very big fan of highly furnished vocabulary and enjoy reading what I understand. Precise references to research are given which I like the most.
As Nana rightly says in the book, “India might play a bigger role in this”. I am so fortunate to come across your project and looking forward to your next one.
Twitter review: https://twitter.com/bharti_87/status/1376497101157269510
Ganesh Deo –
Just finished reading Shitala. Fantastic book. Storytelling approach to unravel the facts is superb. Book contains plenty of references in the end. Thanks for all your efforts in this book.
Twitter review:
https://twitter.com/keithorbit/status/1378944434104987649?s=19
Medha Shyam –
First time writer, Mitra Desai has written an entertaining book and on a subject of contemporary relevance. The book offers an alternative viewpoint to the conventional view of the history of vaccines. Mitra has taken a complex subject and presented it in an easy to understand form for everyone. The language used is simple thus making it accessible to younger readers.
By disclosing the facts, Mitra challenges assertions and ideas that have been prevalent for decades. It’s a book that unpacks and touches on a range of ideas that entice the reader to embark on their own journey to explore other historic assertions.
Shitala is a fascinating and eye-opening read.
Radhika Sthalekar –
Shitala – Very well written book. It gave me goosebumps when Nana told Tara that the Vaccination process was known to us since the 7th century.
The most important part I found about your writing is that it gave me a personal experience that refreshed my memories with my granny who used to tell me the stories about Ramayana & Mahabharata the same way Nana told stories to Tara.
I am grateful to be born in Bharat. Last but not the least, the dedicated research and excellent story-telling are clearly visible while reading this book. Now I am eager to read the next book by this author. Excellent work!!
Shilpa Amit Kamath –
Shitala – The book in the backdrop of casual everyday setup in Tara’s journey of unravelling Bharat’s contribution to the Smallpox vaccine. There is Tara in each one of us who wants to believe what is readily available on the internet. Thank you for subtly nudging us to rethink what has been fed to us as information and quietly rekindling the enquiring mind.
Kudos to the author for taking this herculean task of challenging the status quo.
Gaurav Phadke –
I was amazed by the fact that inoculation techniques were used a long time ago in India. One thing that keeps me up at night is that this knowledge is not accepted worldwide. By reading this book, I realized that ancient Indian culture is so unique that it depicts a proven technique as well as a tale. For instance, Shitala Devi (goddess) mandirs were inoculation camps. This gives us a hint of how culture plays a key role in curing widespread deadly disease. Another excellent example given in this book is ‘pu’ and ‘tana’ and it can be cured by breastmilk which is depicted by an excellent story. The author’s work has shed light on the importance of ancient Indian tales and the science behind it which a paramount.
Keep up the good work and readers like us are glad to have researchers and writers like Mitra Desai. I hope this knowledge gets to each and every individual.
Last but not the least, after reading this book, I regret not having such conversations with my Grandfather.
Krishna –
My 12-year-old son just finished reading the book in a stretch in the last 24 hours! Says he loved the format!
Awesome is the word.
Kudos to you Mitraji!
Twitter review: https://twitter.com/_BhavyaBharatha/status/1381167276586455042
Pravin Datar –
This is truly eye opening book. We took so many things granted that we studied in the text books but when we check the facts, the reality seems to be completely different. Mitra has woven startling facts in a very interesting story and that too in fewer than 10,000 words. This amazing feat to accomplish. This is a must read for all ages and this may start us to explore many more such hidden facts. I had never thought that inoculation would have originated in India and without which Indian civilization would not have survived for thousands if years. Kudos to Mitra for writing this book and looking forward to many such books from her.
Ramchandra Hegde –
My book was delivered yesterday evening 5:45 PM & I finished reading by 10:45 PM – with some breaks in between. Loved the book, the subject matter and the style the message is delivered. In next couple of days I will be gifting 2 copies to 2 of my friends.
Next time I am in Mumbai, will visit Sitala Devi temple in Mahim with a different paradigm.
Gurleen Kaur –
Such a pleasant, engaging, lucid novella establishing the rich lost heritage of how Indian intellectuals had ways of inoculation and eradicating diseases. Written in a narrative format between a grandkid and Grandpa, the fact of passing the rich legacy of Indian medicine has been emphasised in a world where all we do is ‘google for facts’.
A must read for people of all ages.
Deepak M R –
With vaccines becoming the hot topic today, here is an interesting book on how India enabled vaccination. The book by Mitra Desai gives you a detailed insight into the development of the small pox vaccine and how this knowledge was available with Indians before the West discovered it.
You would imagine that a book that talks about small pox and vaccines would be too technical. The author has created a storyline involvingTara and her grandfather, who is an Ayurveda doctor. Through a series of conversations, the story of Shitala is brought out. This makes the book interesting and engaging to read. To know what Shitala means and what is the connection with the Mahabharata you need to read this book.
The book has a detailed references section where a lot of additional information about the small pox vaccine is provided. For anyone interested in knowing about vaccines and how this knowledge was available with us, this book is a good read.
SindhuPR4 –
Thanks a lot for writing the story-based book on Shitala. The writing is interesting (I find it similar to SL Bhyrappa’s style of communicating ideas) and it kept me hooked. Kudos for the compact writing & the slow buildup leading to the realisation of Tara 🙂
Twitter review:
https://twitter.com/SindhuPR4/status/1443284322400681985
Curiosweetie –
How come no one knows this story of smallpox inoculation? Its the same colonialism we see now against our Indigenous vaccines that await approval.
The book (in a story form) comes with references of British texts of 17th & 18th century that talk about small pox inoculation happening in India…seems they got the idea from us & as usual perfected n marketed it crediting Jenner with it.
Must read #SHITALA by @tejomayabharat
Twitter review:
https://twitter.com/curiosweetie/status/1442558083125760000
Temple Economics Sandeep Singh –
100-page book, less than half of A4 size. Priced Rs. 199/-
I would buy this book even if it is priced at Rs 500/- and think it is priced low.
Drop everything & just buy this book.
Tks @tejomayabharat 4 writing tks @subbubooks 4 publishing
https://twitter.com/sandeep_author/status/1508688555354517504
Tosxzhu –
Completed SHITALA- How India Enabled Vaccination by
@tejomayabharat
Fantastic approach of storytelling through a novelette to introduce a prehistoric cultural innovation to new-gen Zs (and many adults) abt how ancient India almost eradicated an epidemic but wasn’t due credited.
https://twitter.com/tosxzhu13/status/1507031896303489025
Dr Sagar Padhye –
‘शीतला’महात्म्य – साधारण तीन महिन्यांपूर्वी मी ‘देवीमहात्म्य’ या शीर्षकाखाली देवीच्या आजारावर एक लेख लिहिला होता. त्यावेळेस ‘शीतला’या इंग्रजी पुस्तकाची माहिती मिळाली होती. कालच मी हे पुस्तक संपूर्ण वाचून काढले. ऑस्ट्रेलियास्थित ‘मित्रा देसाई’ यांनी ही लहानशी कादंबरी लिहिली आहे.
कादंबरी म्हणतोय म्हणजे हा कल्पनाविलास समजू नका बरं ! उलट एका काल्पनिक कथानकातून लेखिकेने अगदी सुरेख पद्धतीने सत्यान्वेषण केले आहे. आजोबा आणि नात यांच्यातल्या संवादातून आपल्याला अल्पपरिचित असलेला इतिहास अगदी खुबीने मांडला आहे. त्याउप्पर शेवटी उपलब्ध संदर्भसाधनांचे योग्य पद्धतीने विवेचनही केले आहे.
देवीचा रोग तसा मानवजातीस अजिबात अज्ञात नव्हता. अगदी तीन हजार वर्षं जुन्या इजिप्तच्या काही ‘ममी’ज् वरही देवीचे व्रण आहेत. चौथ्या शतकातील चिनी लिखाणांत ‘देवी’सदृश्य आजाराचे उल्लेख आहेत. सुश्रुतसंहितेत ‘मसुरिका’नावाने या आजाराचं वर्णन आहे. एकदा देवी होऊन गेलेल्या व्यक्तीला पुन्हा हा आजार होत नाही, हे आपल्या पुर्वजांनी ओळखलं होतं. त्यातून एखाद्या माणसाला देवीचा आजार असल्यास, त्याच्या अंगावरील पुळ्यांतील द्राव काढून दुसऱ्या निरोगी माणसाला टोचण्याची युक्ती शोधून काढली होती. असं द्राव टोचल्यावर निरोगी व्यक्तीला हलका ताप येत असे, पण मग देवीच्या साथीतून तो बचावत असे. हे लसीकरणंच की !
डॉ. जॉन हॉवेल हा ब्रिटिश डॉक्टर काही वर्षं भारतात राहिला होता, त्याने इ.स. १७६७साली भारतातली ही पद्धत पाहून त्याबद्दल लिहून ठेवलं आहे.यासोबतंच असे अनेक समकालीन उल्लेख आपल्याला या पुस्तकात वाचायला मिळतील. आपल्यातील अनेकांना ही माहितीच नसते.
खरंतर पर्वा रात्रभर जागून रत्नागिरी ते मुंबई प्रवास करून मी थकून गेलो होतो. असे असतानाही हे पुस्तक मी एका बैठकीत वाचून संपवले. क्षणभरासाठीही पुस्तक हातातून खाली ठेवले नाही. याचे संपूर्ण श्रेय मी लेखिकेला देईन. भारत म्हणजे अडाण्यांचा देश, इंग्रज येईपर्यंत हे लोक निव्वळ परिकथांमध्ये रममाण होते असा एक न्यूनगंड किंवा जाणुनबुजून केला जाणारा अपप्रचार यावर हे पुस्तक म्हणजे उत्तम उतारा आहे !
– डॉ. सागर पाध्ये
#आयुर्विज्ञान
#Ayurvidnyan #shitala
https://www.facebook.com/sagar.padhye.1/posts/4819667768144125
Mandar Paranjape –
*शितलादेवीचे आख्यान – प्राचीन भारतीय लसीकरणाचा इतिहास*
स्मॉलपॉक्स नावाच्या एका विषाणूजन्य रोगाने एकेकाळी जगभरात थैमान घातले होते. हा रोग झालेल्या १० पैकी ३ माणसे मृत्युमुखी पडत. अनेकांची दृष्टी जाई. अनेकजण आयुष्यभर अंगावर या रोगाच्या विद्रुप खुणा घेऊन जगत.
एडवर्ड जेन्नरने या रोगावर मात करणारी लस शोधून काढली (यापेक्षा सौम्य अशा काऊपॉक्स या रोगातून उत्पन्न झालेला द्रव निरोगी माणसाला टोचला तर त्याला स्मॉलपॉक्स होत नाही असे त्याने शोधून काढले) असे आपल्यापैकी प्रत्येकजण पाठ्यपुस्तकांतून शिकला आहे. एडवर्ड जेन्नर याने युरोपात या लशीचा शोध लावला ही गोष्ट खरीच आहे, त्यांच्या पाठ्यपुस्तकात ती तशी येणे एकवेळ समजू शकते, मात्र भारतातील पाठ्यपुस्तकानी एडवर्ड जेन्नरला लसीकरणाचा जनक घोषित करणे अव्वल प्रकारची लाचार गुलामी आहे.
स्मॉलपॉक्स हा रोग भारतात ‘देवीचा रोग’ म्हणून माहीत होता. आयुर्वेदात या रोगाला ‘मसुरिका’ असे नाव होते. या रोगात ताप येतो हे आयुर्वेदाला माहीत होते, म्हणून ज्वरासुर आणि शितलादेवीची रुपककथा रचली गेली. ही रुपककथा केवळ थोतांड नव्हती तर सामान्य जनांना या रोगाची माहिती पुरविणारे ते एक वैज्ञानिक साधन होते.
देशभर विशेषतः उत्तर भारतात सापडणारी शितला देवीची मंदिरे या रोगाविरुद्ध दिल्या जाणाऱ्या लसीची लसीकरण केंद्रे होती. होळीनंतरच्या आठव्या दिवशी शितला-अष्टमीला (काही ठिकाणी सप्तमी) दरवर्षी हे लसीकरण सुरू होत असे (कारण यानंतरच्या कालखंडात या रोगाची मोठी लाट येते हे भारतीयांना माहीत होते). बनारस, वृंदावन इत्यादी ठिकाणाहून विशिष्ट संप्रदायाचे ब्राह्मण लसीकरणाचे साहित्य घेऊन प्रवास सुरु करीत आणि पार बंगालपर्यंत ही मोहीम राबविण्यात येई. तीन ते चार ब्राह्मणांचा एक गट असे अनेक गट ठराविक प्रदेशात जात असत, ठिकठिकाणी असलेली शितलादेवीची मंदिरे त्यांना त्यांच्या मोहिमेचा मार्ग निश्चित करायला मदत करीत.
या सर्व इतिहासाचे दस्तऐवजीकरण पाश्चात्यांनी केले आहे आणि ते उपलब्ध आहे. मात्र ते सामान्य लोकांपासून (शालेय अभ्यासक्रमातून) जाणीवपूर्वक दडवले गेले आहे.
श्री. निलेश ओक (Nilesh Oak) यांच्यापासून प्रेरणा घेऊन मित्रा देसाई (Mitra Desai) या ऑस्ट्रेलियास्थित लेखिकेने अत्यंत लालित्यपूर्ण शैलीत एका छोट्या कादंबरिकेच्या स्वरूपात (Shitala: How India Enabled Vaccination) ते मांडले आहे.
ही छोटी कादंबरी वाचल्यानंतर या सर्व इतिहासाचा शोध घेत असताना नेचर मासिकातील एक लेख सापडला, त्याची लिंकही इथे डकविली आहे (पाश्चात्य लोकांनी मान्य केल्याशिवाय आपल्याला आपला इतिहास मान्य होत नाही हे दुर्दैवाने खरे आहे).
मित्रा देसाई, तुम्ही खरोखर एक महान कार्य केले आहे.
भारतीय ज्ञानपरंपरा उज्ज्वल, प्रगत होती ही जाणीवच त्या परंपरांचा अभ्यास करण्यासाठी नव्या पिढीला प्रेरित करील. तुम्ही या कादंबरिकेतून पेरलेली बीजे काही वर्षांनी संशोधनाचे वटवृक्ष निश्चित बनतील.
‘स्व’ची जाणीव होणे सर्वात मोठी प्रेरक शक्ती असते, ती तुमच्या पुस्तकातून मिळते.
छद्मपुरोगामी डाव्या लबाडांच्या जोखडातून मोकळे होऊन भारतीय ज्ञानपरंपरांचा अभिमान बाळगू इच्छिणाऱ्या प्रत्येकाने हे पुस्तक विकत घेऊन अवश्य वाचावे. तुमचे वाचन तुमच्या सभोवतालात ‘स्व’च्या जाणिवांची प्रेरणा नक्की पसरवेल.
https://www.facebook.com/mandarrp/posts/10159681606009793
Vinayak –
Reviewing this as part of the Indic Book Club #1000reviewersclub2022
At a juncture when the entire world has just gone through and barely come out of a hard time dealing with the pandemic, this book takes us down a rabbit hole of origin of vaccines.
The book starts at a point where everyone was locked down and frustrated looking for a cure for the virus. The protagonist is a sharp confident girl, Tara, who was looking forward to going abroad for further studies and got stuck due to travel restrictions.
Tara keeps venting her frustrations to her granddad (Nana) and is looking forward to the west to innovate a vaccine and save all of humanity. Her granddad who is a well rooted practicing Hindu brings up casually the topic of who invented vaccines and where was it first practiced and perfected. – hinting at Indian Origins for the first vaccine.
Tara unable to believe her Granddad takes on the challenge to study the history and geography of vaccines.
Initially, the usual western established sources — Wikipedia, Internet articles point her to Edward Jenner as the father of vaccination. Tara takes this triumphantly to her granddad and presents her research. On being asked some questions, Tara realizes that there are some chinks and missing years in the timeline that lead to the discovery of smallpox vaccine.
Tara then goes on to dig into how the world dealt with Smallpox and how India dealt with it. Smallpox being much more lethal than covid and the world being devoid of “Modern Scientific Systems”, how was it that India seemed to have some processes and systems where the disease was simulated in a healthy individual to build immunity.
Tara’s research also provides a timeline of how the process travelled from India and ended up in Britain where it was claimed to be their own invention without acknowledging the origins.
With the reading material from her Grandpa, Tara also discovers references for Smallpox treatment and prevention in ayurvedic literature written much before India was invaded and subjugated.
The acceptance of vaccine is also an issue in the modern world. This book also explores how the process of inoculation was linked to divinity by the way of Shithala Devi and propagated across the rural India, mainly in Bengal region.
The book has also provided references to original sources from which the information is cited. This definitely gives the reader an option to explore and do his own research instead of accepting the authors conclusion.
Every village has its own legend of the Devi who helps to heal. I could relate to it with the prevalent legend of Mari-amma in South India.
Some questions that came to me –
How was the Indian inoculation system dismantled ?
How many Indian innovations have been appropriated by the British or Pre-British systems?
I feel books like these are an important step in the decolonization efforts in India. Especially considering the information overload and the western centric narrative that is all prevalent. It is definitely an inspiration to go to the roots and look for non-mainstream sources.
I look forward to more books in the “India Inspired” series of which this is a part.
Drishtikon_20 –
This book starts with Nana and his granddaughter, Tara, conversing about vaccines against COVID-19. When Nana says that India enabled vaccination, Tara’s colonized mind, sets out on a journey to prove him wrong. But this goes on to change her whole perspective and forces her to question herself. It focuses on, as the title suggests, How India Enabled Vaccination along with over 15 pages of references. Although this is a short and simple read, it is bound to remind you of Bharat’s glorious past and the quite familiar colonial mentality, which is still quite prevalent. This was beautifully conveyed in a story format. I couldn’t put down this one, until I finished it.
Ending the review with a quote from the book:
“As they say, history is written by the victors. Bear in mind that doesn’t make it the truth. It is just their version of the story. The truth is eternal, waiting for you to realise it.”
धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः
Rating: 5/5
@mitra_tejomayabharat
#India #Bharat #ancient #tradition #books #book #review #indica #indicabooks #vaccination #covid_19
Instagram review:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfDdTKCjIqp/
Vedvrat Shikarpur –
My first brush with the word ‘vaccination’ started during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m sure it wasn’t just me who was introduced to this concept mainly due to the global threat we faced in 2020. The worldwide interest in vaccines peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am particularly proud of India’s role in enabling the world to find the cure to this virus. Indian-led COVIDSHIELD and COVAXIN are now helping vaccinate millions worldwide and in India. We cannot understate the role our medical facilities, doctors, and research teams have played in strengthening the fight against the virus. But surprisingly, this is not the first time India has played an instrumental role in enabling the fight against a virus, something the world should thank us for.
‘Shitala: How India Enabled Vaccination’ is an eye-opener on India’s role in enabling us to find the first vaccine. The book explores the well-established fact that inoculation against smallpox was prevalent in India and other parts of the Eastern world before being known in Western countries. Using the story of Tara and her grandfather (Nana), an Ayurvedic doctor, the author helps touch upon the many pieces of evidence present to help testify this claim. The book is fantastic because the author uses storytelling to help provide the evidence, making it highly engaging and easy to read. Special mentions also for providing the Sanskrit quotes with translations around health and also introducing the readers to Shitala Mata, the Goddess that cures smallpox, sores, ghouls, and other diseases.
In just 97 pages, which includes the references and evidence mentioned in the book, the author helps establish the prominent role of Indian medicine and Ayurveda in helping modern medicine perform the miracles it does. While it does not in any way downplay Western medical research and the role of the Englishman Edward Jenner in producing the first vaccine against smallpox, it also touches upon facts that we tend to brush under the carpet, mainly due to the still prevalent colonial mindset. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a cursory interest in Indian medicine and would also thank Indica Book Club for playing a pivotal role in ensuring that this fantastic book made its way into my bookshelf. 🙂