Date:19/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/19/stories/2006011901632100.htm

Back Pain balm to be sold in post-offices

Our Bureau

Visakhapatnam , Jan. 18

IN a novel marketing initiative, Puttur "tailam" (oil) — a well-known herbal pain reliever — will now be sold in the post-offices of Visakhapatnam.

It was launched by the District Collector, Mr Praveen Prakash, in the head post-office here on Tuesday. The Collector lauded the move, saying "people from all walks of life visit post-offices and they can rid themselves of pain by using the oil."

The first bottle (60 ml one priced at Rs 49) was bought by Mr G. Venkatarami Reddy, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority.

Mr A.N.D. Kothari, Post-Master General, Visakhapatnam region, said it was an honour for the postal department to sell the oil.

Puttur, a small village in Chittoor district, is famous for its traditional bone-setters who fix fractures of all sorts. "Puttur tailam is a proprietory ayurvedic medicine, which offers relief from joint pains, muscle pains, bone-related pains, stiff neck, back pain, muscle stiffness and several other related ailments," claims the brochure.

The Puttur bone-setting technique "was accidentally discovered by Kandalam Gopal Raju in the late nineteenth century and because of its efficacy it became popular."

The "tailam" — developed by the grandson and the namesake of the founder — has gained popularity over the decades and is widely used as a pain balm. It is manufactured by Sriram Gopal Raju Pharma (Private) Ltd, Puttur.