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The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Massive turnout at fish prasadam event sparks fear of COVID-19 spread
Even as COVID-19 cases climb across India, faith drew over one lakh people to Hyderabad's Nampally exhibition grounds from June 7 to 9 for the annual fish prasadam event, a ritual believed to provide relief from asthma and respiratory ailments. The Bathini Goud family, custodians of this practice, organised the programme and administered live murrel fish laced with a secret herbal paste to eager attendees, undeterred by the rising infection count. India's active COVID-19 caseload crossed 6,800 as of Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Gujarat alone reported 1,109 new cases in a single day, while Kerala topped the chart with over 2,000 active infections. Neighbouring States Maharashtra (613), Karnataka (559) and Andhra Pradesh (86) also saw worrying upticks, prompting fears of a super-spreader event. On the ground, this reporter saw a stark mismatch between precaution and participation. Mask vendors dotted the venue's periphery, but few takers were seen. Fewer still wore them. Well-organised queues offered little solace as social distancing collapsed in sheds and food lines, where neither volunteers nor recipients observed basic safety protocols. The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) deployed 142 buses to transport devotees, while organisers prepared 1.5 lakh fish fingerlings. 'However, only 60,000 fish were administered, a figure consistent with last year's turnout,' said T. Srinivas, deputy director of Fisheries (Inland), Telangana Fisheries Department. Authorities also set up medical camps to handle emergencies. On June 7, six teams, each with a doctor and four staff, were stationed, scaling up to 15 teams having 75 personnel the next day. By June 9, six teams remained. Over three days, 1,248 people received treatment for discomfort, with 11 referred to Osmania General Hospital, all of whom have since recovered, said Hyderabad District Medical and Health Officer J. Venkat. The health official said that while there is no direct evidence yet linking the event to a spike in COVID-19 cases, its sheer scale and timing are concerning. 'The incubation period means any transmission from June 7 to 9 may only now reflect in case numbers later. Telangana, already managing rising infections, could face further strain if cases emerge from the event,' he explained.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Thousands flock to Hyderabad's Nampally for fish prasadam
The heat hung heavy in the air at noon in Nampally, where the temperature touched 33 °C , but that did little to deter the steady stream of people making their way to the Ajanta Gate of the Exhibition Grounds. Drawn by hope and tradition, thousands from across the country gathered in Hyderabad on Sunday to receive the famed 'fish prasadam,' administered annually by the Bathini Goud family on the occasion of Mrigasira Karthi. The atmosphere resembled that of the iconic Numaish fair, with streets choked with parked vehicles, traffic police working to ease the congestion, and loudspeakers crackling with instructions to maintain the flow of the crowd. Inside the grounds, visitors queued up to purchase a ₹40 token, required to receive the prasadam. After this, they were guided along barricaded lines towards the distribution point, where the murrel fish embedded with a secret herbal paste was slipped down their throats. The Telangana Fisheries Department had arranged over 1.5 lakh murrel fish for the ritual, anticipating a massive turnout. Many had arrived a day early, spending the night on the grounds to ensure that they could be among the first to receive the treatment, believed by devotees to offer relief from asthma and other respiratory conditions. 'I came to Hyderabad on June 7 and headed straight here from the airport. I spent the night on the ground and joined the queue at around 7 a.m. when the crowd was still manageable. I have had breathing issues, though not formally diagnosed as asthma. I read about this online and decided to come. This is my first time,' said 47-year-old Shankar Sahni from Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The programme was inaugurated by Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who was ceremonially administered the prasadam by Bathini Amaranath. 'For 170 years, the Bathini family has carried out this selfless service. Thousands have claimed relief from chronic respiratory problems after taking the prasadam. Their faith and the family's dedication is truly remarkable,' the Minister said. Some arrived for their second or third dose, driven by stories of relief and recovery. 'My sister came here in 2019 with asthma and was cured after taking the prasadam. I was diagnosed just last year, and now I have come, hoping it works for me too,' said 32-year-old Shekhar Patil from Mumbai. Ashish Singh from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, had travelled with his five-year-old daughter, who suffers from asthma. 'I want to try everything I can. If this gives her even a little bit of relief, it's worth the journey,' he said. Voluntary organisations offered support by distributing drinking water, buttermilk, breakfast, and lunch to the people gathered at the grounds. After taking the medicine, many people could be seen lying on bedsheets on the ground, resting in makeshift arrangements while they waited for their return journeys by train, bus, or flight scheduled for later in the day or the next morning.
Hans India
29-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Fish prasadam for asthma patients to be distributed in city on June 8
Hyderabad: The decades-old 'remedy for Asthma' fish medicine (Fish Prasadam) by the Bathini Goud family would be distributed on the occasion of Mrigasira Karthi at Nampally Exhibition Grounds on June 8 from 10 am onwards. Addressing a press conference here, the family members of Bathini Harinath Goud including sons Sheshul Bathini and Amarnath Goud said that as usual, this year, at 10 am on June 8, immediately after the Mrigasira Karthi, the fish prasadam will be distributed at the Nampally Exhibition Grounds. Lakhs of people from the country and abroad visit the Prasadam distribution centre every year. 'For this reason, this year too, the government, on the orders of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, is providing full cooperation under the supervision of BC Welfare and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and the relevant government departments, including the Hyderabad Collector, DGP, Police Commissioners, are making arrangements with the coordination of everyone,' Amarnath Goud said.
