| Fish Prasadam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location(s) | Exhibition Grounds, Nampally, Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Years active | 1845–present[1][2] |
| Organised by | Bathini family |
| Website | [1] |
Fish Prasadam is organized by Bathini family, has been held every year for over a century on the auspicious day of 'Mrigasira Karthi' marking the onset of the monsoon according to the Hindu calendar. The ritual involves the administration of a live murrel fish stuffed with a secret herbal paste, believed by many to be a traditional remedy for asthma and respiratory ailments. The Bathini family which has been distributing the fish prasadam for over 177 years.[3]
The 'Fish prasadam' is a traditional remedy administered by the Bathini family of Hyderabad, this ritual takes place every year during the arrival of monsoon. The members of the Bathini family drop a live murrel fish filled with a yellow herbal paste into the throats of patients suffering from respiratory illnesses. If the patient is a vegetarian, the medicine is given with Bellam (jaggery) instead of fish. The people are advised not to drink water until 30 minutes after the 'prasadam' is consumed. They also prescribe a particular diet and are asked to take the fish prasadam for three consecutive years.
After taking fish prasadam, one should take the extra quantity of medicine given and make six tablets out of it and dry them in shade. These tablets should be taken thrice over a period of 45 days one on empty stomach in the morning and the other after dinner.[4]
Every year, the prasadam will be given free of cost by bathini family.
History[edit | edit source]
On a stormy Mrigasira Karti night in the year 1845, a wandering soaking-wet holy mendicant from the Himalayas knocked on the door of the Bathini family. He was tired and hungry. The man of the house, Veeranna Goud, a toddy merchant, who always helped people in need, fed him, and gave him dry clothes and shelter for the night.
The next morning when the sage was leaving the house, he whispered the secret formula of the fish cure for people with respiratory issues to Veeranna Goud. This secret fish recipe has been passed down the ages and currently, Veeranna’s great-grandsons Late Vishwanath Goud and Late Harinath Goud[5] are honouring the legacy and distributing the fish prasadam.[6]
For decades, the Goud family distributed the medicine in Doodh Bowli, Hyderabad but during Chadrababu Naidu regime the family was persuaded to do it on the sprawling Exhibition Grounds for proper crowd management.[7]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Fish prasadam cancellation: People from across country head back home disappointed | Fish prasadam cancellation: People from across country head back home disappointed". Deccan Chronicle. 9 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ↑ "Asthma patients, now you can swallow this 'fish prasadam' to cure the disease". The Indian Express. 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ↑ "Meet the Telangana family holding the nearly 180-year-old fish 'prasadam' ritual for respiratory ailments". The South First. 14 June 2023. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ↑ "Hyderabad fish prasadam on June 8, 9". The Hindu. 26 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ↑ "Hyderabad's Famous Fish Prasadam Chief Organiser Bathini Harinath No More | Hyderabad's Famous Fish Prasadam Chief Organiser Bathini Harinath No More". Deccan Chronicle. 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ↑ "'It's all about faith': Meet the people who turned up for Hyderabad's annual fish prasadam". The News Minute. 8 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ↑ "Thousands from all over India have fish 'prasadam' in Hyderabad". The Times of India. 9 June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2025.