“I am Mallika and for the past 20 years, my job has been to bathe newborn babies and their mothers. I have bathed more than 150 babies over the years.

I start with a hot oil massage for the babies followed by a bath. For the new mothers, I begin with a rigorous oil massage before proceeding with a bath. In the end, I pour hot water on their stomachs so that they can flatten up post delivery. I also tie a dhoti over their tummies to bring them back into shape. The massage strengthens the bodies of the mother and the child.

I love babies and I thank God for giving me an opportunity to spend time with these lovely beings every day. To me, my work is worship, especially since it involves new lives. I rarely miss work as I realize that parents of newborn babies and new mothers depend heavily on me.

I get new customers mainly through word of mouth. Usually my customers treat me very well – almost like a family member. They stay in touch with me long after I have finished rendering my services to them. It is gratifying to see the children I have bathed all grown up. I recount to them things that they did as babies and bless them wholeheartedly.

My sincere approach to work has helped me from time to time. A few years ago, one of my customers had delivered twin babies, one of which was born underweight and weak. I would bathe and massage both the babies and gradually the weaker one became healthier. The parents were grateful to me for my services to their babies. They showed their gratitude by arranging for blood when my youngest daughter was suffering from dengue fever and required blood.

Over time, I have started loving my job immensely. I am a happy person and I pray to God for sufficient energy to be able to do my job for many more years.”