With thousands of people expected at the fish prasad distribution venue in Hyderabad, the city police have issued an appeal to people to maintain calm in order to avoid a stampede.
The Bathini brothers, who claim that the fish prasad can cure respiratory illnesses, are distributing the Prasad in the Exhibition Grounds for 24 hours starting 8.30 am on Wednesday. The fish prasad involves swallowing a small live fish. To prevent a stampede, the city police have appealed to people to maintain calm and wait their turn.
In a media release, the police requested people by Hyderabad and Telanagana regions to arrive at the venue after 2 pm on Wednesday to “avoid stampede like conditions”.
Police also said that after 8.30 am on Thursday, the Bathini brothers would continue to dispense the prasad at their house in Doodhbowli area of the city.
Fish prasadam sufficient for five lakh people and adequate number of fishlings are being prepared, procured and brought to Exhibition grounds, the release said. Last year, 56,000 people took the prasad. “There is no need for getting panicky and excited and Prasadam will be distributed till the last person arrived at Exhibition grounds. People are requested to avoid morning time for taking Fish Prasadam to avoid congestion and stampede and to cooperate with police,” the police release said.
People have come from far and wide. Twently-eight-year-old Resham, a homemaker, has come from Rohtak, Haryana, seeking a cure for the asthma she has suffered for years. She said she knew several people who had been “cured” and in three sittings, she believed she would be too.
“The money spent in travelling to Hyderabad is worth it because many people we know have been cured with the medicine. To get cured we have to follow a diet for 41 days. I will follow it without fail to get rid of my asthama as soon as possible,” she said.
Kohlapur-based professional Vijay Dafalapure said he learned of the “medicine” from a relative eight years ago. He is here along with his parents and all three of them have respiratory conditions.
“My sister’s 25-year-old son has a dust allergy which has been cured since he began taking the fish medicine four years ago. We are shocked to see the results. He is completely cured now and doesn’t have to use medicines or inhaler,” Dafalapure.
35-year-old Niyati, a home maker, has come from Maharashtra with her six-year-old son Arav, who’s been suffering from asthma since he was three.
“After taking the fish medicine we observed a lot of difference. We will come next time also. My son is too young for the diet, but I still try to follow it. Doctors said he would be cured when he turned five, but there was no change. Only after taking this medicine did we see improvement. I heard from news channels about this medicine and also did some research on the internet and YouTube,” Niyati said.