HYDERABAD: Amid elaborate arrangements made by various State government departments and police,  the annual  ‘fish prasadam’ distribution began at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally here at 6 pm marking the beginning of Mrigasira Karthi or the onset of monsoon, according to Hindu calendar. It will continue up to 6 pm on Sunday.

Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav inaugurated the event by taking the fish ‘prasadam’ himself. Later, several thousand patients were administered the prasadam by the members of Bathini Goud family. The Bathini Goud family distributes the ‘prasadam’ free of cost to the patients and they want the patients to take the ‘prasadam’ for three consecutive years in order to get cured completely.

The medicine consists of a yellow herbal paste, the ingredients of which have remained a family secret. The paste is first stuffed into a live three cm-long murrel fish which is then slipped into the throat of the patient. As the fish carrying the paste wriggles inside the person’s throat, it helps tackle respiratory conditions. If taken for 3 successive years, the medicine is believed to cure asthma. For vegetarians, the ‘prasadam’ is given with jaggery. Despite being mired in controversy, a large number of patients take the ‘prasadam’ in the hope of finding some relief to respiratory problems.

After the first dose is administered, six other doses are prescribed for three consecutive fortnights.
The ‘prasadam’ should be taken thrice, within a period of 45 days and the patients are supposed to follow a strict diet. All the portions of the ‘prasadam’, given at the venue after the administration of fish medicine, should be taken on days of Arudra (June 22), Punarvasu (July 6) and Pushyami (July 20).

Elaborate Arrangements in place

There are separate queues for women, physically-challenged, senior citizens. 1.5 lakh fingerlings made available by the fisheries dept at 35 counters. GHMC puts up 100 toilets at the venue. 300 sanitation workers working in three shifts to clear the garbage. The water board is supplying 3.5 lakh water sachets to patients, attendants. TSRTC is operating special buses from airport, railway and bus stations to ferry patients to the venue.