Around 400,000 people travelled to Nampally Exhibition Grounds in the city of Hyderabad to swallow live sardines covered in a yellow herbal paste in the hope of curing their asthma on Thursday. It is an annual festival-like ritual held every June and is called Bathini Goud Mrigasira Karthi or Bathini Gour Fish Prasadam.

The Bathini Goud family has been administering the treatment free of charge for almost 175 years, claiming the secret formula was given to them by a Hindu saint in 1845.

Doctors doubt the effectiveness of the treatment, calling it unscientific and unhygienic. However, that has not deterred thousands of asthma sufferers arriving to receive the treatment.

Younger patients were less than pleased to take the medicine and can be seen being force fed the fish.

(With inputs from RUPTLY)

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad