The Hair-loom

 The Hair-loom

My grandpa Ramakrishnan had a floor mill. The mill had a Shikakai (seeka) grinder as well. Dried Shikakai, Amla, Ritha, hibiscus etc. were ground together for washing our hair.  Those days people seldom used shampoos. This powder was part of every household in the KGF town.

Every Sunday morning was a hair bath day. Panjamani Atthai* or Panjattey worked in our floor mill and washed our hair every Sunday with seeka. Being the youngest, I was the first in queue followed by Rohini akka* (Chittappa’s daughter), Madhangi akka (Gowri Atthai’s daughter) and Selvi akka (Mathi Atthai’s daughter). After a long hair wash with sneezes and burning eyes, the hair was rolled up in bun with thin towel. Next, it got fumed with Sambrani smoke. Then, I drank kashayam* as shikakai cools the body and I caught cold easily. All of us sat in a row to get a small plait on our head crown leaving the rest of the hair free called as thenneer jada*. It resembled the flow of a water streak from the center of head. We sun dried our hair and got it plaited. All of us had long below knee length jet-black hair which drew everyone’s admiration and envy.

As soon as our summer holidays got over, all of us went back to our schools in different parts of India. I was put up in Rajasthan. My routine remained the same. This time Dad was my hair washer and Maa did the rest. I only did rest. My hair was thick, long, heavy, oily, soiled with dirt and sweat which made Maa’s hand ache. Still, they loved my hair so much that they endured all the pain. Every Sunday, I sat on a stool. Dad washed my hair in the wash basin. Maa dried and plaited it.

Buying hair accessories was a major thing on every pious family occasion we gathered. All of us had a matching set of everything and all my sisters got me ready. Especially Selvi akka, the eldest of all, took best care of us to look our best together.

As we grew, the responsibility fell on our shoulders to take complete care of our hair. The most difficult part for me was to gather all my hair well above the neck to take bath every day. Every clip or rubber band will break and become loose when I tie the hair on head before taking bath. Panjatthey came to my rescue. She taught me how to make a hair bun. It solved my everyday ’s bathing problem.

The other responsibilities that came with hair management are washing and rolling the ribbons for getting the hair neatly plaited for school. Oiling it regularly and keeping it free from lice were our mandate. I dreaded to go to family functions or keeping jasmine flower band on hair as it all invited lice. Lice cleaning was somehow outsourced to Maa and it bothered me the most. I hated it.

In college, the prime focus for most of the students remains studies. Mine was still stuck in my hair. Every Sunday, I observed girls oiling, applying Mehandi or egg or doing hundreds of things to their hair. I shampooed it and slept as much as I could throwing all the hair worry to Monday. I ran from room to room to see if someone could plait my hair. Everyday it was a different person who combed my hair until I discovered Harika.  She had fastest fingers and made magical hair styles that I can’t even imagine in my dreams. I was sorted. I felt ashamed to do this every day. Though, Harika enjoyed plaiting my hair like a sincere mother or sister. I got an idea. I had a haircut and learnt hair styling in baby steps. I used clips or hair bands first and graduated with well plaited hair in 4 years.

Now, it was time to go to the office. The sultry Chennai sweat made me to hair wash twice a day. With no oil, ample shampoo and good salty water, the hair line started receding and continued for years. With changing locations or added responsibilities of work, family, kid etc. not sure how many haircuts and falls my hair has endured. Every haircut drew blood in my parent’s eyes. But I had no choice.

Some said short hair looks good on me, some deferred. For my parents, brother and husband, long hair remains their favourite.

I am yet to be a pro in hairstyle management. I watch umpteen hairstyle videos in awe to gain the masters. I have tried a few. Still, there is a long way to go.

Now, I am trying to move back to oil and shikakai powder. Hopefully, it can change the destiny of my hair to grow back 😊

-           - Saranya

Atthai  - In Tamil, father’s sister. Bua in Hindi

Akka - Elder sister in Tamil. Didi in Hindi

Chittappa  - In Tamil, father’s brother. Chacha in Hindi

Kashayam  - In Tamil, a juice squeezed from medicinal plant leaves like Tulsi, Karpuravalli with pepper and salt. Kaadha in Hindi

Thanneer Jada – In Tamil, Thanneer means water and Jada is plait. Maybe in Hindi it can be called jal dhara choti.