Hyderabad, June 8 -- Thousands of people from across the country converged at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally on Monday as the annual distribution of the 'fish prasadam' began, drawing a massive turnout of asthma patients seeking relief.

The ritual, administered by the Bathini Goud family, involves placing a live sardine fingerling stuffed with a secret herbal paste into the throat of the patient. The event is traditionally held to coincide with the onset of the Mrigasira Karthi, a period which practitioners believe is ideal for the treatment to take effect.

By Monday evening, long queues had already formed as patients, many arriving from distant States, waited for their turn. The venue has been secured with extensive barricading, an...