Traditional oil bath is called with different names in India:
Saturday Oil Bath | Sesame Oil Bath | Ayurvedic Oil Bath | Ennai
Kuliyal in Tamil | Gingelly Oil Head Bath | Oil Bath in Tamil Nadu & Indian Head Bath, but they mean the same thing. It is the practice of massaging the head with sesame oil heated with spices. It is usually done weekly twice and here in Tamil Nadu, it is a ritual we religiously follow. Ayurvedic South Indian gingelly oil bath has many health benefits: 1. Regular practice of having oil bath relaxes and rejuvenates us. 2. Oil bath removes the heat from our body, especially during hot summers. 3. It helps us get a deep sleep, as we feel relaxed after an oil bath. 4. It prevents hair loss, especially if done with good quality oils. 5. It helps to reduce the redness in the eyes, especially people who spend a lot of time staring the computers will greatly benefit from oil bath. In Tamil Nadu, usually every Fridays women have their oil bath (ennai kuliyal) and men have their oil bath on Saturdays in South India. It is an ayurvedic tradition for women to have oil bath on Fridays and then visit a Temple. You can use this oil bath for babies too. Traditionally sesame oil is heated with spices and then when the oil comes to lukewarm temperature, the oil is massaged well into the scalp. After an hour we have our bath with arappu (arappu is a powder made from leaves of arappu tree). In our home we always use garlic, dry ginger, pepper corns and cumin seeds. Some people don’t like the smell of garlic in the oil, they can skip garlic and add the rest of the ingredients. It is so common in our place to find small children being chased by their mothers for massaging this oil on their scalp. When I was younger they used to chase me for massaging this oil, now I am chasing my son. For best results the temperature of the oil should be lukewarm and should be massaged well into the scalp. One feels really refreshed and relaxed after a hot oil massage. I think in this fast pace of life, we should try to include these kind of age old traditions to keep us relaxed. Because we add spices like dry ginger, this oil can be safely used even in winter to be massaged into the scalp.
Saturday Oil Bath | Sesame Oil Bath | Ayurvedic Oil Bath | Ennai
Kuliyal in Tamil | Gingelly Oil Head Bath | Oil Bath in Tamil Nadu & Indian Head Bath, but they mean the same thing. It is the practice of massaging the head with sesame oil heated with spices. It is usually done weekly twice and here in Tamil Nadu, it is a ritual we religiously follow. Ayurvedic South Indian gingelly oil bath has many health benefits: 1. Regular practice of having oil bath relaxes and rejuvenates us. 2. Oil bath removes the heat from our body, especially during hot summers. 3. It helps us get a deep sleep, as we feel relaxed after an oil bath. 4. It prevents hair loss, especially if done with good quality oils. 5. It helps to reduce the redness in the eyes, especially people who spend a lot of time staring the computers will greatly benefit from oil bath. In Tamil Nadu, usually every Fridays women have their oil bath (ennai kuliyal) and men have their oil bath on Saturdays in South India. It is an ayurvedic tradition for women to have oil bath on Fridays and then visit a Temple. You can use this oil bath for babies too. Traditionally sesame oil is heated with spices and then when the oil comes to lukewarm temperature, the oil is massaged well into the scalp. After an hour we have our bath with arappu (arappu is a powder made from leaves of arappu tree). In our home we always use garlic, dry ginger, pepper corns and cumin seeds. Some people don’t like the smell of garlic in the oil, they can skip garlic and add the rest of the ingredients. It is so common in our place to find small children being chased by their mothers for massaging this oil on their scalp. When I was younger they used to chase me for massaging this oil, now I am chasing my son. For best results the temperature of the oil should be lukewarm and should be massaged well into the scalp. One feels really refreshed and relaxed after a hot oil massage. I think in this fast pace of life, we should try to include these kind of age old traditions to keep us relaxed. Because we add spices like dry ginger, this oil can be safely used even in winter to be massaged into the scalp.
METHOD:
1.First pound the garlic and dry ginger coarsely in a mortar and pestle. Please don’t crush it too fine, just pound it once and that is enough.
2. Heat sesame oil in a small pan.
3.Once the sesame oil is hot, first add the cumin and peppercorns.
4.Then add pounded garlic and dry ginger and let it fry in the oil for few seconds and switch off. Don’t let the spices burn.
5.Cool down to lukewarm temperature and massage it in your scalp and let it soak for an hour before having your hair wash.
NOTES:
- If you don’t have time to wait for 1hr, at least wait for 15 minutes before washing it off.
- Though some people might not like the smell of garlic in the oil, I would strongly suggest adding it to the oil.
- Some people use only peppercorns for this oil, but we always make the oil this way.
Discover more from Wildturmeric
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
