Thousands of asthma patients gathered at the Hyderabad Exhibition Grounds in Nampally on June 8 for a fish 'Prasadam' which apparently cures asthma.
The 'prasadam' which is actually a live fish with some herbal paste stuffed in its mouth, was being administered by the Bathini Goud family and is believed to be a cure for asthma. According to the family, the formula was told to them some 170 years ago by a holy man.
This video by RT shows a number of children being beaten up and force-fed the live fish as a cure.
This herb is being served by the family for 170 years and is said to be a closely-guarded secret within the family. The medicinal properties of the 'fish prasadam' have often been questioned by scientists, rationalists and others, but that has not stopped people from arriving in the city in large numbers every year to receive the 'medicine'.
Approximately 3 cms long, these murrel fishes are slipped down the throat of the patients under no medical supervision. They claim that if the fish is consumed for three consecutive years, then the patient can be asthma-free for life.
This 'prasadam' can only be served for Mrigasira Karthe which usually falls between June 7 or 8.
