Ayurvedic Massage

The power of constant advertisement is immense. First it makes you curious about the product, next interested in the product and then makes you a user or at least makes you give a try.

The Ayurvedic massage advertisement’s I have been seeing in fliers, newspaper and magazines for a few years. They first made me a bit curious then the growing curiosity made me a bit interested and as the interest grew I wanted to give it a try. The interest perhaps lay dormant in my mind as I said to myself “might give a try when in south India”

In Pondicherry when we (me and my wife) spotted one Ayurvedic Massage parlor we walked in to find that their male masseur was on leave for a couple of days and only my wife can have a massage done. My wife wanted both of us get the massage done at the same time.

Next day we walked into another Kerala Ayurvedic Massage parlor on the next street.

They looked like more professional with the staff’s wearing a grey color dress. The front office staff informed us that on that they are fully booked. However he found a slot for us next evening. We needed to confirm our booking with 25% advance payment, which we did.

The next day we reached in time for the 50 minute general body massage. We were asked to wait for 5 minutes to allow them to prepare the oil. The massages on ladies are done by females and the men by males.  Then my wife was escorted to the ladies massage room by a lady and shortly I was taken to the massage room by a man.  

I entered a small room that was dimly lit up.  The music system was softly playing something in Sanskrit. A wooden bed in the center of the room with its edges curved up like a bowl, a padded stool and an electric cook-top on which was sitting a bowl full of oil.

 I was asked to take off my clothes, even my underwear. I was made to wear a small piece of cloth just to cover my groin area.

Sitting on the stool I was given a head massage with some Ayurvedic oil. It was so relaxing that the 6-7 minutes of massage made me sleepy. Next I was asked to lie on the wooden bed and within minutes I felt as if I was swimming in a pool of oil. The short, dark, stout man was massaging the oil all over my body.

 My arms, body, back and legs all were covered in a thick film of oil. Now I realized why the wooden bed had edges curved up like a bowl, to protect me from falling down if I skid on the very oily bed. Let me assure you that fear of skidding and falling down from the thickly oiled bed were not impossible.

Like every beginning has an ending the massage ended. The Tamil masseur knew very little English but still he managed to ask “did you like the massage?” I said yes. The last part was bathing with soap and shampoo to get rid of the extra oil from my body before putting my clothes on.

To my surprise I felt my body was rejuvenated and much lighter, this feeling lasted for the entire evening. Oh god this Ayurvedic Massage is wonderful.

Merry Christmas

After an excellent Christmas at Agra in 2012 it was time for 

a decent Christmas celebration in 2013.

Why I call the Christmas in 2012 excellent?

1. It was the first Christmas self and my catholic wife were spending together in India.

2. We were very new in Agra and did not have a home our shelter was a hotel 

room and we were changing hotels on 25^th December.

3. Agra was bitterly cold and foggy with almost no sun.

4. I had joined a new job and my office was open on Christmas day.

5. I did not have a transport of my own.

6. The road in Agra, dark without street lights and deserted 

as night as falls, which ultimately gives you a feeling of insecurity.

When I returned back from work it was already 8-30 pm.

 It was bitter cold out the dark roads were empty with a thick fog cover. 

It did not seem like it was Christmas, A day of celebration and 

merry making. Just like another cold winter night. 

People prefer to stay indoors for the biting cold.

 I was happy to find that my wife had managed to move to the new hotel alone, 

with our huge luggage.

Although we wanted to spend the evening outside,

 the dark deserted and foggy roads prompted us not to risk venturing outside. 

We ate our quiet simple Christmas dinner in the hotels dining room. 

On that day I said to myself, the next Christmas we will not be in Agra.

On 24 December, 2013, afternoon we reached Pondicherry (also called Puducherry)

 a French colony for many years, now a union territory of free India. 

It has a fair amount of Christian population. 

After checking into our hotel we walked down to the nearest 

Catholic Church on Mission road.

It was an old church whose cleanliness, 

inside decor and paintings on the dome thrilled us. 

The Church was gearing up for the last minute preparation. 

The big number of chairs in the open space suggested there 

will be a huge turnout for the mid-night mass. 

The priest also said that we must come well before the mass begins to have a seat.

The only concern left was how safe are the streets of Pondicherry after mid-night?

 we have to walk back to our hotel after the mass.

 Everybody we asked said that the streets are safe and secure even after mid-night.

Pondicherry being in south India has a tropical climate so houses have no fire-place or chimneys. 

Santa has to come through the door. On our way to the church after dinner we 

saw women and kids busy putting up colorful Rangoli designs in front of their house. 

The shops along the street were brightly lit up, had decorated Christmas tree 

and other Christmas decorations, “in the air there is the feeling of Christmas”.

The road in front of the  church was cordoned off and no traffic movement 

or parking of vehicles was allowed.

People who did not get a place inside the church sat outside for the mass.

The mass started a bit late and stretched for two hours and was in Tamil,

 the language we Do Not Understand. Never mind be it in any language God is God.

My wife was very happy as we walked back at 2-30 am to our hotel with our hearts filled with Joy.

It was a Merry Christmas after all.