The women barbers of Bhadradri

Bhadrachalam: Whether it is tonsuring heads or piloting a warplane, women proved they are not inferior to men any way. To support their families, some women have been excelling in their profession as barbers at the famous Lord Sriram temple here and have been making a decent living by tonsuring heads of visiting devotees a la male barbers.

In fact, forced by circumstances, some women, on compassionate grounds, have been appointed barbers when their spouses met with untimely deaths. Without any inhibitions, these women accepted the new roles, shouldering the family responsibility. Kollipaka Saidamma, who has been working as a barber with the temple Devasthanam for the past 11 years, said she stepped into the shoes of her husband after he died of ill-health.

Saidamma, without being disenchanted by the job, said she was happy to continue in the profession. With the grace of Lord Sriram, she said, she was able to keep the ball rolling. Another barber, Kollipaka Lakshmi, told The Hans India that her husband, a staff member of temple Devasthanam, died while he was working for the Devasthanam. To support her family, she said, she had taken up the job. When the going was tough for the family, she decided to take up the job to enable her to stand on her legs.

Same is the case with yet another barber, J Ramadevi, who took up her husband’s job on compassionate grounds. She said she never thought that she would be forced to take up the vocation of the caste that she belonged to. However, these women prove they can excel in any profession like their male counterparts.

By P V Satyanarayana