FOR ROMBOLA Alfredo, now Arjunanath, Chandanpur near Puri is his second home and working field. Apart from the social work he does through the Radhika Charitable Trust, this Italian’s involvement with traditional and alternative Indian system of medicine has earned him laurels from all, particularly his own countrymen. Alfredo, now a disciple of Buddhist monk Rahul Shank, who practises ‘sparsh chikitsa’ or ‘touch therapy’, has helped cure fellow Italian Rita who was suffering from severe spinal problems for past 15 years.
Rita and her brother Toni Talarico (55) live in Bolzanobozen, Italy, where Toni works as the head of sales with the sales department of an automobile company and he practises martial art, yoga and pranayama, being inspired by Alfredo. After knowing the results of ‘touch therapy’ from his friend, Toni took a session from the Buddhist monk through the ‘Shaktipat’ method. Being empowered with the ‘healing power’ he cured his sister Rita and she is now able to get out of her bed on her own.
The ‘Shaktipat’ method, now known as ‘touch therapy’ was practised by former Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Math, Puri, Sri Madhusudan Tirthaswami in the pre-Independence era. Even the British rulers had acknowledged the goodness of the method on a plaque installed in memory of the Swami.
Like Reiki and Pranic healing, ‘Shaktipat’ also uses good energy or ‘pran urja’ of an individual to heal others. The practitioner can empower others to practice the act like in case of Toni and his sister Rita, says Alfredo.
Alfredo (57) was inspired by the Buddhist monk when he was conducting a workshop here recently and later took lessons from him in Puri on the subject.
Married to an Oriya Purnamashi Sahu from Berhampur, Alfredo has a son of five years. Now, he dreams about opening centres on ‘touch therapy’ or ‘shaktipat’ in Italy so that more and more people from his native country get benefited from the alternative therapy.
--Bibhuti Barik bibhutibarik@epmltd.com