Yes, I Have Done IT

I was shocked to listen to my wife’s decision. I was on cloud nine at that moment. I have been pursuing her to get her head tonsured. But she didn’t agree for that. It was 12th of November,2009. I returned home as usual at 8 o’clock at night. My parents went to temple. My wife Priya was alone at home. She gave me snacks and tea. When I was sipping tea she came and sat beside me. Then she said, “Raj, I have decided to give my hair to lord Venkateswara.” It was a shocking news for me. I stared at her in disbelief. But she said she was serious and not kidding. Immediately I kissed her and asked what made her to take this decision. She said it was her gift on my birth day.(Nov,15).

Immediately I called a travel agency and booked two tickets to Tirupati on 14th Nov. We informed our parents that we are going to get our heads tonsured. They accepted. In the morning of 14th I expreseed my wish to tonsure her hair myself. “How is it possible?” she asked surprisingly. I told her my plan. First she would give most of her hair in three cuts at kalyana katta. Then I will shave her head in the hotel room. First she didn’t accept. After some discussion she agreed. I was delighted.

We reached Tirupathi on 14th November at 6 a.m. We reached Tirumala hill by bus by 7.30. Immediately we went to Central Reception. Luckly we got a room in Ram Bagicha Guest House. We reached the Guest House by auto. We were alloted a room on the first floor. We entered the room and refreshed ourselves. After some thiry minutes we took a bath. Priya shampooed her waist length hair. She wiped it thoroughly and put a clip just above her neck.

We came down. There was a mini Kalyanakatta meant for the inmates of the Guest House. There was not much crowd. I approached the clerk and took two tokens, one for my tonsure and one for her “three cuts of hair”. Then we entered the tonsuring hall. Some six barbers were sitting in a row there. We approached a barber and put the tokens in his hand. Then he asked for his “mamul”. I put a ten rupee note in his hand. He put it in his packed with a smiling face. First she asked Priya to sit before him. Priya obliged. She sat before him facing me. Then he asked how much hair she wanted to offer. I pointed the hair clip and asked to cut just below it. He took the scissors into his hand and first cut just half an inch of hair two times. Then he gave third cut below the clip. In few seconds Priya’s long hair was separated from her head. Then I sat before him and got my head tonsured.

We returned to our room and took bath. Then we went to temple. We entered the queue complex at 11.30 and came out at 4 pm. After having lunch we returned to our room. I was very much excited about our next adventure. Priya’s hair was just above her shoulders. She was very cute in that hairstyle. After some time we started our work. Priya brought some water in a mug and sat on the floor. I also sat before her and sprinkled water on her head. Then I rubbed her hair just like the barber did to me. Priya was also very excited. After wetting her hair, I took the straight razor I brought with me. I inserted half blade in it. For a minute I was in a dilemma as to how to start the tonsure. First I thought of starting at the middle of the head. But later changed my mind and started just above her forehead. My hand was shivering. Slowly I moved the razor. In three minutes top portion of her hair became bald. Now she has hair on both the sides. Then I started on the right side and shaved in the downward direction. Next left side. Then I came to her back side. I slowly moved the razor. When the razor reached her nape she felt a nice experience. In next five minutes I completed my tonsuring. Priya was completely bald.

I colletced the hair fell on the floor and took it down. I gave 50 rupees to the sweeper there and asked her to mix it with the hair taken from barbers.