Chasing an old man down the streets in Baranpur for my ‘Gandhi topi’ story, with Bharath following me with a concerned look on his face (for the safety of the old man, I think) we stumbled upon this quaint looking store with herbs into which the old man had entered. After coaxing him my ‘sweetest voice’ and having gotten a few images, we spoke to Tariq Siddiqui who runs the store about all the herbs around us… Bharath and I both follow alternative medicine and I am completely fascinated by different healing methods. Explaining to us about his healing practice called the Unani; I knew it would be my next info-post for this evening.
The threads of Unani or Yunani (pronounced /juːˈnɑːni/) healing can be traced back 5000years to Anatolia, Greece based on the teachings of Hippocrates. Developed further by a Persian healer called Avicenna, Unani –tibb is supported on the theory that the presence of 4 elements in the fluids of the body when not in balance causes illness. Based on scientific principle, it uses herbal remedies for healing and like most other alternative medicine believes in the balance of the mind and body.

Brought predominantly into India by the Muslim invasion, the families of Tariq Siddique have been practicing Unani healing for over 200 years. Chatting away with Tariq surrounded by jars of herbs and roots, we completely lost track of time.

Tariq’s remedy for burning fat without moving a muscle!
Jeera 100gms
Saunf 100gms
Ajwain 100gms
Lac 25gms
Mint 25gms
Nutmeg 25gms
Crush into powder and have 3-5 Gms twice a day.

P.s I have a feeling there was a certain hint when Tariq gave me the recipe.

P.P.s- I love that traveling lets me tumble right into fascinating stories.