Kardoda: A good growth monitor: The holi thread around the waist. .

The “MANGAL SUTRA” FROM WOMB TO TOMB

1. For ensuring optimal growth we need growth monitoring of all children...
2. Growth monitoring is not done for Most Indian children.
3. Job not supervised is job not done.
4. Height weight monitoring, growth chart filling all is not done.
5. They need motivated health persons, time and money.
6. Growth charts, BMI are new, foreign concepts. Will take years to teach to masses.
7. Depend on others and the job fails.For growth charts etc. one has to depend on health persons.
8. We need a tool that is known to all, culturally acceptable to all, available to every one, & affordable.
9. There is one such tool.
10. It is called the thread around the waist.called by various names Kardoda, kardhani, Duthi, etc.
11. An uneducated grand mother told Baramati’s Dr. Anil Mokashi, pediatrician that her grand son had become weak. His kardoda, the holy thread around his waist had become “loose”. One B.A.M.S. doctor also had told him similar observation about her son.
12. When chidren grow the kardoda becomes tight.The parents have to change it.They learn that child has grown.It can also fore warn obesity.
13. So every one knows that it moniters growth.
14. To measure a tree, its trunk’s girth is measured.To measure a child & a person, it is logical to measure his/her trunk.
15. It a very good simple tool.
16. It needs no pedatrician, no gadgets.
17. We need to study and standardise its use.
18. We need to find out its limitations.
19. All over India on 5th day of life after worshipping goddes, a black thread is tied around the waist.It has many names like Kardoda.It is tied on 28th day in Kerala. All Hindus and many Muslims tie it.Our employee Razia’s father wore it all his life of about 70 years till his death.
20. In Khandesh part of Maharashtra every sister ties a fresh kardoda to the brother.
21. In adults it is extremely useful. It can fore warn the stomach growth. Central obesity (Syndrome X.) leads to Diabetes, high Blood pressure, Heart attack, paralysis, etc. As a person’s stomoch grows, his kardoda becomes tight and warns him to take his own care.It tells him to reduce food intake, increase exercise and save his life.Thus Kardoda is a mangal sutra that can keep one alive.
22. India has an epidemic of Central obesity ( Syndrome X.) , Diabetes, high Blood pressure,Heart attack,paralysis,etc
23. Kardoda is thus a useful tool from womb to tomb.
24. On the holi festival of Vat Pournima women tie a thread around the trunk of banyan tree and pray that their husbands live a long life like banyan tree.If they tie a therad around the trunk of every one then all will live long.
25. To measure a tree, its trunk’s girth is measured.To measure a child & a person, it is logical to measure his/her trunk/
26. Let us resolve to keep our mind open to new ideas.Let us try kardoda and standardize its use.
27. Let us give a feed back to Dr. Joshi.