Impurity of women, in the land of Goddesses

“My periods are going on!” –  say these words in public and you feel like you’ve beheaded someone. In India, menstruation is sculpted into dramatic scenarios. The journey to become a lady from a girl is not that easy,I guess.

I was on my first industrial tour after opting for engineering studies and was on the second day of my periods. Things were fine until we, a group of twelve girls and eight boys, were asked to enter the premises of a small temple. Suddenly, a friend of mine started giving me those looks and I said, [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]“Yes,I am having my periods.”[/inlinetweet] Needless to say, I could not entre the temple as that was the norm back then and I had to wait for my peers to return from the temple. I also heard giggles among my male classmates on the way back to college. Naturally,I couldn’t help wondering if this is where we had reached in 21st century.

[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]I am called Saraswati, Laxmi , Durga and Sakti.[/inlinetweet] But I am a lady first; I get my periods every month, irrespective of any situation or occasion and it is to be respected. I wonder why these restrictions exist just for us. Why am I not allowed to go to temples, not allowed to touch anyone at home, and not go to work during those days?

I am not against anyone’s beliefs and rituals.  I often think of why people in our society regard periods or menstruation as a tabooed subject and not as a normal biological process that every girl has to undergo on a monthly basis.

Best way to talk to your daughters about periods

 

It’s not essentially the males who don’t understand periods and burden us with restrictions, but a major role is also played by women. They themselves have contributed to the creation of these restrictions and pass it on from one generation to another without knowing the facts, making it more difficult for the younger generation to go through it. Aren’t women first to be understood by women themselves? Instead of being empathetic about the situation, they do everything possible to ensure that girls follow certain myths and restrictions within the family.
Being an engineer, I naturally tend to question the root of certain beliefs our society has enforced upon us. I want to question things and I don’t want people to give me those looks when I say I am having my periods. Give ladies the respect they deserve, the love, care and rest that is required during their periods.

[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Let them go to temples I say,[/inlinetweet] and let the sacred ambience create positivity within them. Let her cook, it’s her kitchen.  Let her work, give her that hygienic workplace. Let her live, she is truly bearing all this for you.[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””] These restrictions and taboos are man-made; God never wants to restrict anyone.[/inlinetweet] In fact, God always wanted women to be free and powerful and that’s why he subjected every power of nature in Goddess Sati. Respect that power!

Author: Monica Yadav is the founder of Respire Experiential Learning from Ahmedabad, India. She is passionate about educating kids through the art of storytelling.
easiet way to teach and learn about periods

14633 Comments

Absolutely Right!! Well Written!
I never got the reason behind such strong tabooing of menstruation!!!!
Its a normal biological process which every girl should undergo every month or else its absence can cause so many biological problems!!! Even educated people find it so tabooed!!
On the other hand, we, Indians, believe that this whole world is created by God and whatever happens to us, it is made by god! So these periodical cycles are also given to girls as an imp. biological process by God!!!

In earier times, women were exempted from doing all sorts of household works during her periods. I think this was just to provide her required rest during those4 to 5 days. but making it a taboo is not good.

I completely agree with you .Its a natural thing ..nobody chooses it. And I cant understand why people despite being knowledgeable and educated shy away when such things come to fore in discussion or in life of someone close or give weird (giggling or shock or whatever) reactions when mentioned. Just one clarification I seek …who is you in “Let her live, she is truly bearing all this for you.” I strongly agree on the fact that it’s women themselves who should first back their own kind rather than paving way for ancient taboos and myths to continue.At the same time I think there are a number of people both males and females who possess a way much more mature attitude when it comes to it. But unfortunately I don’t see the narrow minded attitude of common public going away any time soon. FYI there’s a new undergarments line waiting to be introduced for women just to help them cope better with the time of the month …and they are just troubled as to how to promote their brand since “the issue is so sensitive”.

Robin, Thanks for agreeing with us 🙂
And “YOU” includes all.. All who have not understood the pain and frustration of women with this taboo. It can be a mother, grandmother, husband, anyone… Who believes that women are just meant to sit aside in home during menstruation!!
And its sad to know that such companies are having marketing issues in our companies. Such undergarments will help every group of women!!

Good initiative! I appreciate your blog and completely agree with you. I dont like the restrictions girls faced during their periods. What i think… it is completely depends on parents that how they teach their daughters.

The isolation probably originated when there were no sanitary napkins or such things in existence: just to ensure that the overall hygiene of the place was good as well as to make sure that the girls’/women’s self esteem does not go low.But this has been twisted beyond what was probably the original intention.
With changing times and advent of new inventions and discoveries in science,this taboo of deliberate isolation must change.Not just during this menstrual cycle period but also during initial post delivery period, wherein these taboos take upper hand: “do not go out for the first three months”….”do not eat that do not eat this”…worst of all is “do not drink lots of water” ….come on ! how can proper nutrition be deprived to a new mom who is probably lactating?seriously, it is first women who need to rethink about such taboos rather than blindly following them.

I totally second you. I can’t understand why this normal biological process is taken as a taboo in our society. And there is a big role played by women in creating and following all such myths and beliefs.If it’s said form the religious aspect then people should accept this too as God has only created us like this.It wasn’t our choice.I just can’t understand why are women thought to be impure while they are on their periods.The women of urban population don’t suffer much but in the rural areas,just because of these silly and stupid myths and beliefs,the women are compelled to live in more unhygienic conditions.And this is making the situation worse. Not taking bath during periods and all.People should really change their mentality towards it!

True.. And this what we should change now!! Menstrupedia has taken a great initiative for this. And all we can do is to support them at each step.

Thanks for your support 🙂

Hi Monica… Very well written note…

I think ”Menstruation” should be handled with maturity. It’s a normal biological phenomenon that happens with women and it’s coded by god. Why would he/she mind if a girl [undergoing Periods] enters the sacred place? Why would things turn filth if she touches it??

It’s one of the most difficult phase for you all, already it creates so much of aggression clinically. On top of it, People with old medivial crap enforces you all to follow dimwit laws that doesn’t carry any significant meaning.

I am a male and can never understand what you all go through every month… those 5 to 6 days, But I can understand what to believe and what not to. I believe it is something very auspicious and omen and can never ever be a curse at all. You women are the building blocks of humanity and give rise to new generation.

I had read somewhere that God didn’t fix such events in a male’s biological body as we aren’t strong and capable enough to undergo. And it’s true !!

So be relax and you should take it as a boon from god… nothing wrong..

Thanks Nived!!

I find very few people like you though 😉 But ya, i agree you god gave us an immense power to handle all this. From periods every month, to give birth to a child. It makes us more feminine and more powerful every month. 🙂

Sometimes i feel that going to a peaceful temple, during periods, and just sitting gives a lot of postivity to me. Its my personal experience. I go through lots of emotional stress during that time. Its normal. So, i find this custom not to go scared places during periods baseless!!

Thanks again 🙂

Thanks 🙂

And ya women at first should understand periods!! And then should conclude about any rituals.

Anytime dear 🙂

It’s very important for us boys to understand the complexes girls go through.. Had such event been coded on male’s body and had we started getting periods, I am damn sure the so called Indian Patriarchy would have pardon it as Normal and claim it as a celebration throughout life time, make separate amenity for it…. It’s funny but harsh fact.

Ideally, girls should discuss menstruation problems to their loved ones who are male. But sadly, Things aren’t set as we imagine. Those who lack knowledge, pokes fun on it turning it into embarrassment.

Yeah 🙂

And i always discuss this sort with my loved one. Have never felt any odd. But a special treatment during those 5 days 😉 🙂

Whilst that feels slightly over-the-top, it is very not so difficult in order to recall of which Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson and much more had been all a while supposedly for the Cavs’ business block final winter. That doesn’t involve those expert talent around the workforce who secured in a dark were hardly ever removed from the block and many had been eventually traded in, jiving with the sentiment displayed preceding. kyrie irving jersey The exact Cavaliers are quite the following season’s most intriguing team to take along with, reasonable or not, it will eventually can certainly in deciding no matter whether LeBron add more hardware to their collection arrive the particular season’s last part. Add the belief that they might be most travel to sent straight to a updated James this coming year, and more or less has to be considered as the MVP favourite. mike miller jersey

Comments are closed.

Related Posts