Traditional healers prepare Dasamula medicine for Lord Jagannath

Puri: Traditional healers have prepared special medicine to cure the ailing deities of the Shree Jagannath Temple. After doses of the medicine ‘dasamula modaka’ are offered, Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are believed to get better.

[caption id="attachment_223141" align="alignleft" width="176"] The Dasamula Modaka medicine[/caption]

The deities, being taken care of at a secret site in the Jagannath temple, have been sick for 10 days now. But with application of various medicines or ‘Osa Lagi’ and offering of the dasamula modaka, their health will improve.

[caption id="attachment_223142" align="alignright" width="214"] Preparation of Dasamula Modaka[/caption]

The dasamula modaka is prepared by four families of healers who make 120 balls of the ayurvedic medicine. The healers prepare the medicine by cutting and drying the barks and roots of herbs and then heating them with honey, ghee and camphor to prepare it. After preparation it is immediately sent to the temple for servitors to offer it to the deities.

“This is an ayurvedic medicine, offered to the deities on the tenth day from Debasnana Purnima. We use 10 ayurvedic roots of medicinal plants like neem, pipali and many more,” said Rudra Narayan Mishra, one of the ‘baidyaraj’ or traditional healers of Lord Jagannath. “It is a very powerful medicine even for humans. It is offered to five deities including the trio siblings, Sudarshan and Madhaba, all of whom are unwell,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_223143" align="alignnone" width="482"] 87 year old Binayak Mishra and his wife[/caption]

While Lord Jagannath plays the role of a human falling sick and going on a vacation to recuperate during Rath Yatra, even his ailing devotees get strength to serve the lord. An example is 87-year-old ayurvedic practitioner Binayak Mishra, popularly known as Bina Bhaina, another veteran healer who has been preparing the dasamula medicine for 70 years now.

“I have many serious health issues but it is only the blessing of Lord Jagannath who constantly looks after us without a blink of eyelids that gives me strength year after year to prepare the medicine with zeal. My entire family helps me,” he said.