On 8th June, Saturday, thousands gather at a rather hush village in Kutaganahalli, Koppal district of Karnataka. That unusual morning saw people from different states namely from several parts of Karnataka, neighboring Maharashtra, and all southern states to Kutaganahalli village of the country came together for an herbal medicine that cures respiratory diseases mainly Asthma.
A traditional healer Ashok Rao Kulkarni and his family have been giving this 'wonder pill' for centuries.
Kulkarni stated that this medicine is only supposed to be consumed at an auspicious time i.e. 'Muhurta' when the moon transcends from 'Mrugashira Nakshatra' to 'Ardra Nakshatra'. The actual auspicious time to consume this medicine happened to be last Saturday at 7.47 am.
Ashok Rao's family claimed this medicine to be a boon in 'Jyeshtha Maasa' why the crowd gathered last weekend.
Kulkarni told the reporters in Kutaganahalli that this medicine has been given by his ancestors for centuries now and before he started giving it, it used to be his father Vyasa Rao Kulkarni who gave this medicine for 60 years.
It's decades of trust that the villagers and newcomers to the village hold in Kulkarni's family. Moreover, this herbal medicine is sold free of cost. A bare-chested Kulkarni wore a Dhoti, Anga Vastram, and a Tilak of vermillion on his forehead while distributing these medicines to the needy.
It felt like Kutaganahalli was celebrating a festival with grandeur. The villagers knew the turnout on Saturday morning would be huge so they put up temporary stalls selling snacks, vegetables, and other food items. A huge number of four-wheelers, including SUVs lined up in the village along with a long queue of people to receive this 'wonder pill', the recipe for which is still a Kulkarni family secret.
Dr. Cyriac on X shared a post on his official account about 'Wonder Pill' giving his views.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Aditi Madathingal/MSM)