Science behind cultural “why”s - Part 2

Dear Chitramma,

Nice post, we were just mentioning about this in passing in our Coffee Morning posts.

I have the habit of taking weekly twice oil bath and for my dd on Fridays because other days it becomes a little difficult to manage her hair and send to college..

Earlier my mother used to give me gingelly oil with red chilly heated. but now myself and dd take dhatri oil or coconut oil mixed with almond / mustard and olive oil warmed.

for body, mix of almond / olive oil and manjal podi.. For washing I use meera as the ready ground is not available here, I take and come from madras whenever I go or use meera or shampoo. for dd it is only shampoo.

but as you have mentioned, it is a really wonderful exercise and strengthens your hair.

 

Dear mami,

Very informative posts. Wanted to give fb when you wrote the first article itself, but somehow, skipped. Are we talking here about oil bath for hair alone or full body oil bath? I too take oil bath for hair twice in a week or sometimes thrice, but with very less oil and then shampoo it out totally, as I will get head ache, if even little oil is there in hair. But full body oil bath , I rarely take.
Ideally how frequent should we take oil bath for full body ?

 

Dear Ma

Thanks for the detailed clarification. I will start with once a week. evening should be ideal...i think.

(oilbath on friday brings memories and longings for those days...amma puts oil, let it soak and then put seeyakkai....I used to fuss every friday:bonk. )

 

Chithra madam

superrb info....very informative....specially about wiping our back first after bath.

As for having oil bath, we do it once in a week. thatit self becomes a big task, to clean up the bath tubs etc..but still specially in winters we dont skip this routine and its a must on saturdays. I use almost all kinds of oils. Depends on what is available. almond/olive/mustard/gingelly etc and wash it off with haldi and besan.

One point I noted is tuesdays and fridays women should do oil bath, but seems like i am not following that as I am doing it only on saturdays as that is the only day its a total clean up session for everyone at home

I have a special request..could you guide me to the link where I can find some info on the rituals for deepavali . I am actually hoping this deepavali is a very auspicious one, as it is on a friday, that too on a amaavasya new moon day, and we do lakshmi pooja on this day...all together seems like a very good day and I would want to do my best to follow the rituals. could you pls suggest. I appreciate your help

 

I am giving the details as far as i know. Sorry if i am wrong.:bowdown

In those days, elders used to prepare the oil for the entire family. When women take oil bath on tuesdays and fridays, the left over oil was used by men on wednesday and saturday.

This was told by my Grand mother.