Alternative medicine: Herpes Zoster/Shingles जनै खटिरा || Janai Khatira || जनै खटिरा के हो ? कसरि?

A few years ago, Surya Mati Bajracharya of Kwabahal, Thamel, had gone to Badri Ratna Bajracharya, a Newar priest, to treat an infection that most Newars believe to be the bite of a serpent: jala naga. It is a common Newar superstition in which the infection is believed to be the manifestation of the serpent’s curse, naga ko dosh. The disease is medically recognised as ‘herpes zoster’ and is also known locally as ‘janai khatira.’ Its traditional healing practice includes drawing two lions (sometimes dragons) roaring at the two ends of the infection using three colours—black, red and white—for days, and a recitation of a sacred incantation by a priest. Then, a separate puja is also done in a well in front of the Tara-nani shrine at Itumbahal. “At first, I thought it was an allergy. It came below my left breast and slowly spread below my armpit and touched my left shoulder blade, and it continuously burned; it was excruciating,” she recalls. Surya Mati had gone to see Badri Ratna Bajracharya after she had reached out for help from her family members about her infection. They had promptly termed the infection as ‘jala naga’ and asked her to immediately see Badri Ratna in Maha Boudha, who at the time used to treat the disease using ancient remedies. However, after the pujas, Surya Mati on the fifth day of the infection, which had not yet subdued, went to see a skin doctor who strictly asked her to take medication for the infection. Herpes zoster is an infection reactivated by the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella-zoster), and most who are infected by the virus are likely to have had chickenpox earlier in life. However, most Nepali families, before seeking a doctor for cure resolve to ancient remedies recommended by their families who have experienced the torment of the disease. But dermatologists say the ancient practice is just an idiosyncratic belief and patients should seek medication only from skin doctors before the infection aggravates. “When the virus grasps a nerve fibre, most people feel an uneasiness for two days before getting a red rash [often accompanied with stripes of blisters] that starts a continuous tingling burn, and it usually happens to people who are middle-aged. The virus can affect anyone if they don’t have a good immune system,” says Hari Narayan Gupta, a dermatologist. https://kathmandupost.com/health/2019/07/17/people-seek-ancient-remedies-for-herpes-zoster-treatment-doctors-say-medication-is-necessary