Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Hinduism

  • Kumbhakarna, a sleeping giant: A medico-mythological exploration

    B. Sadananda NaikMoodabidri, India Kumbhakarna, a gigantic brother of the legendary demon king Ravana, is depicted as one of the most powerful warriors in the Indian epic the Ramayana.1 Kumbhakarna became famous for his extraordinary sleep and enormous appetite. According to Hindu mythology, due to a divine twist during a boon-granting ceremony, he was cursed…

  • Xenotransplantation on Mount Kalilash

    Devanshi PatelRajkot, Gujarat, India According to Hindu mythology, Mount Kalilash in the Himalayas is the abode of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, along with their children Kartikeya and Ganesh.1 The latter son is the elephant-headed god of beginnings, intellectuals, bankers, scribes and authors.2 Many stories are associated with Ganesh’s birth and upbringing. In one…

  • Anatomy of the Araimandi

    Shreya SrivastavaAlbany, New York, United States Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest dance forms theorized in text. Originating in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Bharatanatyam dates to an estimated time of 500 BC when it was first described in the Natyashastra, an ancient book based in Hindu philosophy that specifies the physical, social,…

  • Traditional obstetrics in Isaan, Thailand

    Khwan PhusrisomDurham, United Kingdom Traditional midwifery and the culture of birth in Isaan, Northeast Thailand, may hold lessons for the prevention of obstetric complications. Since traditional midwifery has been declining for the past two decades,1,2 in 2020 I interviewed elders in my home village in the Yang Talat district in order to preserve their rapidly…