CHENNAI: Her lips are restless as she murmurs mantras. Her assistants fervently ring the bells. She takes out a half-cut lemon, dips it in a mixture of butter, turmeric and kumkum powder and rubs it on the lower back of the patient, who is mostly writhing in pain due to kidney stones. With spectators immersed in the theatrics, she pulls out a piece of newspaper she had placed under the patient and shows ‘kidney stones’ that have fallen out.
After sprinkling kumkum on the ‘kidney stones’, she wraps up the newspaper and hands it over to the person accompanying the patient.
Meet Narasamma, who lives in the nondescript village of Amudala on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border in Chittoor district, and ‘miraculously’ removes ‘kidney stones’ in a few seconds. She charges a nominal fee of `250, but pooja materials and parking charges cost a little extra.
But her magical powers are so extensive that she manages to extract ‘kidney stones’ from an Express journalist who didn’t have any issues. When the kumkum powder is washed away, the ‘kidney stones’ are nothing but ordinary pebbles. That she manages to recover them through the rectum — the medical world believes kidney stones occur in the urinary tract — is another issue.
However, Narasamma’s fame is widespread. “We are from Hyderabad. I actually took my daughter to a hospital first, then, my brother told me about Narasamma and I brought her here,” says Kishan Reddy, whose 15-year-old daughter is ill.
Patients in advanced stages, in so much pain that they aren’t even able to sit, wait for Narasamma’s treatment, hoping the cure is just a few minutes away.
People as far as Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu know Narasamma. When asking for directions to Amudala, a local resident told the Express team: “Kallu edukka vanthurukkeengala? (Have you come to remove the stones?)” From auto drivers to shopkeepers, everyone recognises the village. While some are sceptical of Narasamma’s methods, those that visit her every day, in hope of a miraculous and cheap cure, bear testament to her fame.
“She is very tired since she had been treating patients continuously since the morning and taking rest. So you all must wait, please,” says a stern-voiced assistant. She can indeed get tired. Around 15 patients wait for her when Express reaches her house on a sunny afternoon. On the verandah’s wall is painted: ‘KIDNEY STONES. Narasamma. Cell: 80089 98308. Amudala. Time: 7 am to 1 pm. 2 pm to 4 pm.’
On any given day, at least 30 to 40 people visit her. It is said the crowd crosses the 100 mark on weekends. “We are from Chengalpattu,” says Ramalingam, who has been visiting Narasamma for the last five years. Although he says he hasn’t been cured, he has brought seven women from his locality for treatment.
Her attender grants permission and we enter her room. One journalist poses as a patient. The first thing that matters to Narasamma is if everyone has paid the fee. She counts the notes twice over, rechecks the head count and tells one patient he hasn’t paid. Subsequently, she places the amount beneath her. Then, the pooja starts. Patients are asked to lift the clothes a little so that she can touch their backs and start the ‘operation’. As people gaze to see how the stones are extracted, her assistants shout at people who are either blocking the way or not properly seated. As the attention gets diverted for a few moments, Narasamma declares the work as accomplished.
After all the patients in the session are ‘cured’, Narasamma proclaims to the crowd: “You must eat banana on reaching home. And please drink this theertham before leaving. No non-vegetarian food, no alcohol, no smoking, drink a tumbler of banana stem juice in the morning and evening for one month. You should not take any X-ray for a month. If you still have a problem afterwards, come back and I will give you special treatment.”
She places burning camphor on her hand and gestures while circling the crowd of patients. It appears as if she does indeed possess magical powers. The crowd calmly disperses, believing they’ve been cured.
Outside, there is another set of patients who are waiting for their turn. The cycle starts again.
Banana stem juice
In traditional medicine like Siddha, it helps dissolve kidney stones. “No doubt that banana stem juice is good for kidney stones. But it cannot be prescribed blindly since the treatment varies depending on stone size and its placement,” says a senior doctor at the Arignar Anna Government Hospital of Indian Medicine.
Narasamma’s ‘powers’
“She initially started removing thorns from the feet of farmers in the village,” explains Amulu, an aide of Narasamma, who manages patients from Tamil Nadu. Consequently, Narasamma performed supposed medical feats without incisions. “If someone is very ill, she visits them. But she charges D2,000 for this,” explains Amulu.
Official promises action
The Chittoor District Collector PS Pradyumna did not respond to phone calls or SMS. However, Dr Vijaya Gowri, the Medical and Health officer of the Chittoor district, said she was unaware of the issue. “Nobody has brought the issue to our notice. I will ask the local official to check the place,” she told Express.