Mubashir Aalam
Srinagar, Mar 21: A number of people visited practitioners of ‘leech therapy’ on the occasion of Navroz on Monday as the therapy is believed to be more effective on this particular day.
Scores of people were seen standing in queues, waiting for their turn to go through the procedure, at many places in the valley, especially at Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar.
It is believed that leeches can cure frostbite, skin diseases and other blood infections, as they suck out the impure blood from the body.
Wali Mohammad, a practitioner of leech therapy, said “I am doing this practice for the last 40 years and as per my experience, people are getting cured with this therapy. People understand that this therapy is the best cure for their illness which they don’t get from other medications.”
Manzoor Ahmad, a patient from Hyderpora, agreed. “I tried medicines of almost 10 to 20 thousand rupees but couldn’t find any relief in my pain with any medication. But later when I tried this leech therapy, I am now feeling relief in my pain,” he said.
The practice of leech therapy is very old, and the tradition is still kept alive in Kashmir, particularly on Navroz.
Practitioners earlier used to collect leeches from local water streams and rivers but now those connected with this trade get them from outside of Kashmir.
