Dhara is a form of indigenous medication in which a prescribed mixture is poured in a steady stream onto the head of the patient.
The patient is made to lie on a wooden tub and the whole body is smeared with the appropriate medicated oils. A wide-mouthed earthen pot with a hole at its bottom is suspended by cords over the forehead of the patient. The medicated fluid chosen by the physician is then poured into the vessel and flows in a stream onto the upper part of the patient's forehead through a wick at the bottom of the vessel. The drippings are poured back into the vessel and the process is repeated for about 90 minutes. After the Dhara, the patient is given a bath in warm water.
