Pradeep Jain: A man who cures Jaundice with herbs and powdered sugar

It can befuddle, but one must witness the long queues to believe in the power of herbs. Every Tuesday and Saturday, jaundice patients and their helpers queue up near the Kailash Chand Jain Chaiwalle in Chandni Chowk to get the medicine. Pradeep Jain has been distributing the crushed herbs along with powdered sugar (boora) for at least 40 years now. He is simply following the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who had set up this stall. Jain sells tea on the other days.

“My grandfather Kailash Chand Jain began this tea stall 80 years ago; before that he owned a jewellery store. It was around the time he met the guru Bhoora Ram, who taken in by my grandfather’s hospitality and honesty revealed to him about the herb,” said Jain.

Soon after, Jain’s grandfather began the tea stall and alongside it, gave the herb to patients for free. “Even today, I give it for free. I open the shop at 8 am and close it by 11 am, but people begin queuing up from 5 am onwards. Each day, I treat around 1,500 patients.

During summers, the queue is longer and during winters, shorter. A patient has to come thrice for the complete cure, but two hours after the first dosage, the herb starts to provide relief. Patients who are suffering from Hepatitis B and C also come here for relief,” added Jain, who has never been formally educated. All his education has been on the street.

There are those who come from around the country and the world. “I am a B.Tech student from Bangalore. I have been suffering from jaundice for two months and none of the other medicines seemed to work. My aunt lives in Delhi and she told us about this. I came here a week ago and this is my second dosage. The first time I had the medicine I vomited, because it is extremely bitter, but this time, I felt better. My readings have improved already,” said Anita Saxena, who had been waiting in the queue since 7.30 am. Preet Pal Singh had come with his 12-year-old son from Jalandhar in the hope of a cure.

“For patients who stay abroad, we provide them with the dry powdered herbs. We get requests from the US, Singapore, Britain and the countries in the Middle-East,” pointed out Jain. Jain requested a registered medical practitioner to join him five years ago to help him with the Liver Function Test reports and there’s also a lab technician has joined him, but both these services are paid. With the earnings from the tea stall, he has ensured the education of his two daughters and a son. “My son is 15-years-old and I hope that he would take this legacy forward along with his regular employment,” said a hopeful Jain.