At a time when healthcare is getting more and more corporatised and technology-driven, there are still a few in Bangalore who believe in older, less invasive forms of healing.
Ustad Kayangadi Papanna Massage Institute on OTC Road is one among such few. The small room near Tawakkal Mastan Dargah that serves as a landmark to Chikpet area, does not seem to believe in the adage, ‘first impression is the last impression’. For, this institute believes only in its cure.
Run by the fifth generation, which began with Ustad Kayangadi Papanna in 1860, the institute is currently managed by Dr N Varadaraj, and his brother B S Munikrishna and their family members. “We follow the ancient method of healing, and we don’t give any internal medicines,” says Munikrishna.
Papanna was called ustad because of his wrestling skills, and he got the prefix ‘Kayangadi’ (kayi=coconut, angadi=shop) because he also used to run a shop selling coconuts.
Munikrishna, who remembers his grandfather only vaguely, says, “He was a wrestler. He ran a garadi mane (wrestling school) in Gandhinagar, and we hear some youngsters reached great heights after getting trained there,” he says.
According to him, it was Thimmiah, his grandfather, who played a major role in setting up the healing centre. “Later, my father took over. My father is our guru. Even my mother Muniakkaiamma was an expert in massage, and worked for 25 years. She was a registered medical practitioner,” he said.
The institute is always buzzing with patients who go there for oil massages. “We treat people suffering from simple fractures, sprains, slipped discs, and arthritis,” says Munikrishna.
The institute uses oils extracted from plants and herbs. They also use a magnetic shock instrument, which is about 90 years old. “We are not doctors, but we treat patients effectively,” he said.
While the institute gets a mix of people right from the very poor to the affluent, Munikrishna says a majority are poor patients.
“Of course, this is our bread and butter and we charge for what we do. We don’t know whether the Orthopaedics accept our treatment, however, there are doctors who suggest our institute if patients can’t them,” he says.
Munikrishna is now passing on the heritage to a new generation. “We train members of our family as and when cases come. We never hire people from outside,” says Munikrishna, who is worried he might have to move out of the rented shop.
“The owners are planning to sell this building, which is almost 100 years old. We are yet to think where to shift, but it will definitely be a few metres away from here,” he says.
Celeb touch
Munikrishna’s father had treated Dr Rajkumar during the shoot of his film, Mayura. “We heard that he had fallen from a horse while shooting for the film and my father visited him at his hotel and treated him for days. Actors keep visiting us. Recently, Vijay visited our place during his film shoot for Duniya. For Puneeth Rajkumar’s film, Anna Bond, the assistant director convinced us and shot a few scenes here,” he says.
Except on Sundays, the institute works all days from 9 am to 1 pm and 4.30 pm to 7 pm. They do not encourage calls.