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Are you thinking of taking a break from your hectic busy schedule?

Then Courtallam in Tamil Nadu might just prove to be the perfect getaway for you.

And what better than a relaxing massage from a masseur who has been in business for almost two decades now.

Karippaswamy runs a small massage centre in Courtallam that is close to the Courtallam falls.

Tourists, who come here to get drenched in the waterfall, almost always drop in for a quick relaxing oil massage before their baths.

“These massages cool the body, reduce burning in the eyes, improve blood circulation in the body and are good for the face. They relax the body,” says Karippaswamy.

Every waterfall in Coutrallam has its own masseur. Just like Karippaswamy, they all use til oil, renowned for its natural relaxing properties.

Also used are other oils and balms like Ponnangani and Santhanaadi tailum. The art is learnt from senior masseurs and passed on from one adept generation to the next.

Says a tourist, “The massage was very good. I enjoyed it.”

The masseurs charge anything from Rs 40 to 250 per massage. And during the monsoon months of July, August and September, when business is at its best, they can make up to Rs 500 a day. Like they say, it's oil in a day's work.