HYDERABAD: Standing in the queue at Exhibition Grounds in Nampally, Datta Borade, a Mumbai resident, eagerly awaits his turn for the famous ‘fish prasadam’. He is here to get prasadam for its purported medicinal properties to treat respiratory diseases. He wants the prasadam for his wife, Suman, who suffers from asthma.
Alongside lakhs of others, Borade has come to witness the miraculous healing powers of this traditional remedy. They believe that the fish prasadam can offer relief. Administered annually by the Bathini Goud family, who claim to have received the secret recipe from a saint in 1845, the prasadam is renowned for its healing properties.
The sheer number of people attending the distribution event each year testifies to its perceived effectiveness. Leela, a 50-year-old woman from Maharashtra, attests to the positive impact it has had on her asthmatic husband. “Prasadam has significantly improved his breathing problem when it tried it earlier. This year, I came again when I saw its effect,” she says.
Anticipating the prasadam distribution, visitors started to arrive at the camp a day in advance, to ensure they don’t miss out on the opportunity. Borade expresses confidence in the family’s commitment to ensuring that everyone receives the prasadam.
The word of its supposed miraculous results has spread far and wide, drawing people from various regions.
Ashok travelled from Delhi to receive the prasadam. Two of his family members have also asthma. “When I brought them the prasad for the first time, they experienced relief,” he says.
Even beyond the borders of India, stories of this cure have piqued curiosity. Shakhawat, a 26-year-old from Bangladesh, says he came to know about the fish prasadam from television. “I have difficulty breathing. I tried a lot of things to treat my condition, but nothing works,” he says.
It is worth noting that the fish prasadam is provided free of cost. Seeing the popularity of the prasadam distribution event, government authorities arranged facilities such as free meals, drinking water, and access to toilets.