Nagamma’s herbal medicine has many takers at Food Mela

nagammakf08oct2016

by Rajkumar Bhavasar

If you think that the ongoing Dasara Ahaara Mela is just for foodies, you are wrong. As the venue also is a place to cure your skin diseases and other common ailments.

Nagamma, a nature therapist or Naati Vaidya, has come all the way from Kodagu to provide medicines to visitors. And the medicines given by her are in great demand.

She offers a variety of natural plant medicines, consultation and treats minor illnesses. She has set up her shop inside the Bharath Scouts and Guides Grounds where the Ahaara Mela is being held. So much so that she has gone back to Kodagu to bring more medicines as the stocks what she had got exhausted due to great demand.

68-year-old Nagamma is the recipient of 2014 State Janapada Award and apart from being an expert folk singer, she has innate and immense knowledge about herbal medicines that have been handed over to her by her ancestors.

At Doddabettageri in Kodagu, where Nagamma lives in a tribal hamlet, people with common ailments like stomach and tooth aches, joint pains, fever, ear-related problems and diarrhoea get treatment from her. Her fame is spread far and wide and this time, she has come to Mysuru to offer her expertise.

People who have pain in their ears, fever, hand and leg sprains and allergies flock to her stall and get cured within a day. Jademada, one of her patients, swears by her treatment and says that the illness once treated by Nagamma will never recur.

Talking about her medicines, Nagamma said that the juice extracted from Gandhari leaves cure ear pains and wax discharges in just five minutes. If a person is totally affected by allergies or acne, a juice extracted from Gali leaves mixed with garlic can be applied on the infection.

“The patient will feel a sense of relief and within a couple of days, the skin problems will be completely cured. Also, Black Tualsi available abundantly even in cities is a very good medicine,” she says.

Nagamma is an expert in folk songs as well. Any special occasion within her tribe, she does not fail to sing, soothing the listening ears with her voice. Ganga puja, a prominent ritual in her tribe’s weddings is incomplete without Nagamma singing “Ondele ondadike, ondu gandhada bottu namma sastra…” She sings various folk songs throughout the rituals and continues even after that to entertain guests. Nagamma has also sung Sobane Padha for Akashavani and has gained a lot of praises.

“In my tribal hamlet, I treat hundreds of patients without even charging a single rupee. I have learnt about natural medicines, leaves, barks and roots from my forefathers. Now I am teaching the same to my daughter,” she says with a smile.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / October 05th, 2016

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