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| loussi ghass. |
New mother gets Herb bath on 11th day.
A mixture of herbs, shrubs, leaves, wild fruits and roots together known in Kashmir as loussi ghass. The mix includes brie (red berries), shangar (herbs), ladrigand (haldi/turmeric root), shontgand (Ginger root) and many more of such. It used to be sold by Buhur…the grocerĀ guys…named liked Shabu Buhur or among muslims by Khazir Woan. The bath ritual is still among Kashmiri Muslims, so the herb mix is still sold in Kashmir by certain old traditional grocers. My father brought it all the way from Srinagar.
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boiling
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Post Bath:
Rice balls are mixed withĀ hendĀ (supposed to be dried dandelion leaves, father misplaced the leaves, so we usedĀ paalak). Fish is cooked and kept with it in a plate. Fish is essential for the ritual. Beside it we can put yellow meat and some vegetable dish.
A kaajwot (pestle stone) is kept on the ground.Ā The child is placed on it and then brought into the house. Burza is burnt [Burzu myat kadun], and waved around the head of mother and child. My father had brought the bark from a Birch tree in Pahalgam around 10 years ago. A name is given to the child (if a girl, 2 generations ago, name was changed at the time of girl’s marriage in another ritual]. And the oldest lady in the house sings a line “sokh-ti-pun-syun“.
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| Burza/Birch bark |
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| welcome |
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In Kerala, we found the practice of Ayurvedic bath post child birth quite a common culture. The are women who are employed for it. There are herb mix that are sold. Goes on for about 40 days. The new born is given special massage using oils although doctors recommend caution with the newborn and ask to rely only on good expert hands.
