Despite the sudden downpour, large crowds made their way to the sprawling Exhibition Grounds at Nampally from Saturday afternoon for the annual fish ‘prasadam’ administered by the Bathini Goud family on ‘Mrigashira Karthi’. The event will continue till Sunday afternoon.
The Bathini family started dispensing the ‘prasadam’ at 12.35 p.m. after ‘puja’ at their house in Doodbowli. People started arriving in the city a couple of days in advance and some of them even waited overnight at the venue to be first in the line.
Apart from different parts of the State, many arrived from other States too including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
“We came to take ‘prasadam’ for the third consecutive year as it is giving a great relief for me.
Many claim relief
Earlier, I used to spend about Rs.1,000 every month for medicines and inhalers but after taking ‘prasadam’, I got more relief. Owing to the positive result, 15 people, including eight women from my village came here this time,” says a beaming KSRTC driver S.G Koti from Karnataka’s Belgaum district.
Two brothers — Shaik Mansood and Shaik Baba Miya — along with other residents have been facing breathing problems after the Government established a thermal power station in their village.
“We regularly develop cough and respiratory problems due to dust from the power station. For relief, we came to Hyderabad to take ‘prasadam’,” says Shaik Mansood, a bangle businessman from Maharashtra’s Beed district.
The systematic arrangements enabled speedy administration of ‘prasadam’ and several voluntary organisations, including Agarwal Samaj made arrangements for free supply of drinking water sachets and food. Throughout the day, they kept serving people and also distributed pamphlets printed with prescribed diet to be followed for 45 days after taking the ‘prasadam’.
Brisk business
Vendors did brisk business by selling small plastic containers for collecting extra dose of medicine, dried mango slices, soft drinks and ice creams.
The city police installed door frame metal detectors and allowed visitors only after checking them thoroughly. Mobile ambulances were also kept stand-by for emergencies. Murrels were sold for Rs.15 each.
