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One of the famous festivals that are celebrated in Hyderabad is the Mrigasira festival. Mrigasira festival is also known as Mrugam is celebrated every year during the month of June or July. This festival is celebrated with a feast of local fish. It is said that the partaking of this fish cures asthma. This treatment is more than a hundred and fifty years old. The remedy was revealed by a great sage to the ancestors of the physicians who carry out the treatment today. Every year during the month of June more than fifty thousand asthma sufferers congregate at Hyderabad to take avail of this unconventional but free treatment. The object that is believed to cure asthma is not a ubiquitous pill but a five centimeter fish that is supposed to be swallowed live. This fish is also known as Murrel is stuffed with a secret herbal remedy that has been down by the ancestors of Bathini Goud family. The most fascinating part of this treatment is that the so called medicine, that is slipped in to the patient's mouth by one of the Goud family members is supposed to be swallowed live! An additional prescription of herbal medicine that is taken three times once every fifteen days is also part of the treatment. The days on which the extra herbal medicine is supposed to be taken are Arudra, Punarvasu and Pushyami Karthe Legend has it that the family was given the secret formula155 years ago by a saint, who had revealed this formula to them as a measure of gratitude for giving the saint shelter. The saint had warned that the medicine would be rendered useless if commercialized. The medicine is distributed from 5:30 am onwards on Mrigasira Karthika day in Hyderabad. Payment is not expected or accepted by the family in return for this medicine. The family allocates its own resources to raise Rs 50,000 to distribute this medicine. Most of the logistical support is provided by government agencies. Volunteers who man the booths and the crowds also work without payment.
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