50-year-old Pune woman agrees to cut off 4.5 feet-long dreadlock
It was only after Nandini Jadhav, Pune head of Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS), approached Kendale and convinced her to get rid of the dreadlock.
Parvati Kendale, 50, was visibly light-headed after a four and a half feet long jata (dreadlock) was cut off from her head on Thursday afternoon. The long solid lock of all her hair weighed heavy on her head for 13 years.
"People told me not to cut it off because cutting it could kill me," said Kendale.
It was only after Nandini Jadhav, Pune head of Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS), approached Kendale and convinced her to get rid of the dreadlock.
She finally got it removed at Sadhana Media Centre in Shaniwar peth. Even as the first floor room of the media centre filled with the foul smell from the dreadlock, Kendale sat happily with her daughter-in-law, Sunita Jagannath Kendale, 30, and nephew Jaisingh Suresh Kendale, 32. Their family lives in Janta Vasahat, near the foot of Parvati hillock in Pune.
"One of ANS members, Madhav Gandhi, saw Parvati while working in an eatery near his house. He contacted me and I went to her house. I was there till last (Wednesday) midnight," said Jadhav as she checked for remnants of dreadlocks on Kendale's head.
Kendale had developed dreadlocks twice before. However, they became heavy and dissolved by themselves, according to her. However, 12-13 years ago, she was hospitalised for a kidney-related issue. She did not comb her hair for a long time and developed the dreadlock, which grew with time.
"I had to convince her daughters that it was alright to cut the hair off. They related it to her kidney issue," Jadhav added.