For nearly four decades, many a resident of Srinagar has relied on Ghulam Mohammad, a mystic traditional healer, to work his bone-fixing magic. Over the years, Ghulam Mohammad, popularly known as ‘‘Papa", has gained a loyal following, with people flocking to his Ali Kadal clinic in downtown Srinagar. After his father’s death, Mohammed honed his skills, learning about herbal medicine from a Srinagar-based Unani doctor, Syed Abdullah Andrabi. He found his mentor after a friend arranged a meeting with a Sufi saint, Peer Gyasuddin, who lived 60km away from Srinagar, in Baramulla district. Shoaib Shafi is a writer and independent journalist who reports from Delhi and Srinagar.

Source: Mint September 12, 2020 03:22 UTC