A person sells medicinal plants at the herbal fair. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 17: Jugal Behera, a traditional healer, has been promoting a special medicine that guarantees to increase man’s immunity for eight generations.

Many traditional healers like Behera and his family members have queued up at the 7th Kalinga herbal fair that started today at the exhibition ground in the city. The five-day fair aims to promote traditional treatment using Indian herbs.

Behera, who hails from Sonepur, has many interesting anecdotes to share. “After years of research and experimentation on over 1,000 people, my family prepared the medicine that we call, Bruhat Topchini Khanda. The medicine, if taken early in the morning every day, will keep one away from diseases,” Behera said.

His family members worked as raj vaidhyas (healers who would attend to kings and royal families). At present, they have clients across the state and abroad as well.

A number of herbal medicines and ayurvedic products are available at the fair. About 120 kiosks, consisting of 250 participants, have been put up. Medicine to cure a wide range of health disorders, ayurvedic skincare products and food supplements are available at the kiosks.

Organised by the state board of medicinal plants, under the aegis of the state forest and environment department, the fair not only aims to promote herbal products, but also provides a platform for direct interaction between the dealers of herbal medicines, ayurvedic pharmaceuticals and the consumers. The fair offers medicine for skin problems, gastronomic issues, hair fall, arthritis, rheumatism and so on.

“We prepare these medicines from the compounds found in the roots, seeds and leaves of medicinal plants,” said Deepak, a medicinal plant dealer from Cuttack.

The fair offers packets of pastes, powders, tablets, tonics and lotions made of the plant parts. A number of people, especially women and senior citizens, thronged the fair on the inaugural day.

“Allopathic medicines offer easy solutions but they often come with side effects. But, if one needs treatment through this traditional process, one has to be patient as the treatment takes time,” said Sucharita Samal, a visitor.