With a cure for coronavirus still not known, more and more people are turning to Ayurvedic Kadha decoctions to keep the virus at bay. In a new start-up, kiosks selling Kadhas have sprung in at several places across the Indian capital, and elsewhere. especially those frequented by morning walkers.

"We used to sell juices of bottle gourd, bitter gourd here, but now we have added Kadha and the majority of our customers prefer a glass of this Ayurvedic concoction," said Ramesh Sharma who sets up a stall near a park in Indira Nagar locality every morning.

Ramesh claims that his wife and mother prepare the Kadha by boiling various spices, including cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, peppercorns, basil leaves, cinnamon, honey and turmeric. However, he admitted that he was not aware of the proportion of spices that should go into the making of the decoction.

He sells a small glass of the concoction for Rs 40 and many customers even get it packed for home.

Swadesh Sharma, a septuagenarian, said, "I drink one cup and take home three cups. My wife and I drink this Kadha twice a day."

Ravindra Kumar, another morning walker and a regular Kadha customer, said that preparing the decoction at home was a cumbersome task.

"My wife and I go to work and we barely get time to cook a meal. Preparing the Kadha takes a lot of time so we drink a cup here," he said.

Almost all the morning walkers who flock to the Kadha stalls, said that they had learnt about the benefits of this from TV and newspapers.

Apart from this, packets of ready-to-brew Kadha are now available in the market.

"This is in a powder form and you simply have to boil it in water. The spices are in measured quantities and there is no need to even strain the decoction," said Mohan Lal, who sells packets of the Kadha powder in his grocery store in Mahanagar area.

Meanwhile, doctor Raj Kumar, a medical practitioner, said that over-consumption of Kadha was proving harmful for many.

"Excessive use of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon in this weather can lead to other problems. People are going overboard in drinking Kadha because they believe that this will keep corona away, but the side effects are now showing up," he explained. (IANS)