Healing waters

Natural hot water springs are an elixir for good health, writes Sangeeta Sen

It is said that when the holy sages, way back in the early 16th century, blessed the naturally-occurring hot waters of the Shiv Kund reservoir inside the ancient Shiva Temple at Sohna in the Aravalli foothills of Haryana, the waters of the holy kund developed miraculous powers of healing. Interestingly enough, according to historical records, many people, cognisant of the healing powers of the hot waters of the Shiv Kund, flocked to this divine kund with the hope of getting cured.

This belief in the healing power of sacred springs with mineral-rich hot waters of varying temperatures, which gushed out naturally from beneath the Earth’s surface and existed in the form of healing pools on the banks of a river or inside temples located at the mountain foothills, may have been mystical or superstitious. Yet, however, with the passage of time, the belief in the healing value of hot water springs, dating back to ancient times, has been deeply ingrained in the human mind — in fact, the belief in healing hot water springs has been taken over by succeeding generations seeking a cure for several ailments. For instance, in recent times, in case of Sohna hot water springs, the sulphur-rich hot waters of Shiv Kund, having a temperature of about fifty degrees centigrade, have allured people to take a dip in the sacred Shiv Kund, for getting their skin ailments like eczema or psoriasis treated.

Interestingly, corroborating the healing power of minerals like sulphur present in the hot water spring, a plethora of Europe-based scientific research journals highlighting on balneotherapy, rather than healing with hot sulphur waters, have pointed out that the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of sulphur play a crucial role of fighting skin ailments like psoriasis, leg ulcers and even fungal infections of the skin. Next, according to recent records, at the naturally-occurring hot water reservoir, having a temperature varying between forty and sixty degrees centigrade, located within the 15th century Galtaji Temple complex near Jaipur, Rajasthan, people have been known to throng this sacred natural hot water spring primarily because of the faith and belief that Rishi Galava might have meditated here after which the hot water spring became holy and, more importantly, for benefitting from the high mineral content of this spring water.

Backing the health benefits of this divine hot water spring, Japanese scientific research studies have pointed out that for ailments like arthritis in the knees, the soaking of the body in these hot waters containing healing minerals like sulphur, bromine and iodine as per the buoyancy principles, creates the water pressure that enhances blood circulation and, as a result, it becomes easier to move the weak knee muscles.

Furthermore, the temperature of forty-nine degrees centigrade of this mineral-rich hot water, scientifically, produces a dilation of the blood vessels, which is essential for flexibility of the weak knee muscles and, moreover, relieves the pain which is often a dominant factor in limiting the movement of the joint.

Also, the hot water of this sacred kund has been known to contain a reasonable content of minerals like magnesium and sodium combined with traces of Epsom salts, silica and sulphates. Interestingly, drinking this mineral-rich hot water has been known to cure the effects of chronic gastric ailments. In yet another intriguing instance, the superstitious belief in the power of the natural hot water springs in reducing stress-related symptoms has prompted people, in recent times, to take a dip in the naturally-occurring sulphurous hot waters of the spring flowing near the Lachung River at North Sikkim.

In fact, scientifically, on immersing in sulphurous hot waters having a temperature of about fifty degrees centigrade, heat relaxes the tense muscles, thereby, promoting a state of inner calm. The naturally-occurring hot water springs, indeed, have a medley of healing properties.

Yet, however, according to doctors and recent scientific theories highlighting the possible risks of soaking in the hot water springs, a prolonged soaking in the sulphurous hot waters might cause a state of hyperthermia, rather a high body temperature; an allergic reaction to sulphur as well as the risk of certain amoeba bacteria entering the nasal channel due to a constant soaking in the hot waters.

All said and done, the healing natural hot water springs are an elixir for good health.