Mission Delhi – Om Prakash, Central Delhi
One of the one percent in 13 million.
[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]
It’s hardly a secret that any number of people may choose to disguise greying hair with henna.
But Om Prakash has carried it one step further – to the level of sheer artistry.
The 58-year-old safai worker with the municipal corporation has his hair streaked in various shades of red, while his moustache is hued in a brighter shade.
“I dye my hair every Sunday at 10am,” he reveals, with a serene smile playing on his lips. “And wash it off two hours later, with a helping hand from my wife, Leela.”
The moustache he deals with himself. Does his use of henna perhaps reveal a sense of insecurity about advancing age?
“Not at all,” replies Mr Prakash. “When my hair became white, my head felt prickly. The black hair never caused that feeling. I had to do something.”
So, he chose the henna option some 20 years ago, when his pitch-black hair began to turn grey. And there’s another practical reason as well. “Henna has thandak {coldness) and keeps my head cool during those long days when I’m cleaning streets under the burning sun.”
After his retirement Mr Prakash can choose whether or not he wants to stay away from the sun. “But my Sunday routine will never change. Henna is now a part of my life.”
[This is the 214th portrait of Mission Delhi project]
50 shades of red
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