When movies like Padman, Toilet are released worldwide, it gives us an idea of what the general mentality of people is, with respect to hygiene and menstruation , in modern day India. Though it is sad to look at , what's even more depressing is the take on the situation prevelant, trying to potray it as a culture which considers menstruation as something impure, women a class lower to men.
It is indeed disappointing to see all the cultural failures, when people fail to recognise that the Kamkhya Temple,Assam where the devi here is worshipped in the form a Yoni. They celebrate the Ambubachi Mela, a festival marking thedevi going through her annual mensuration cycle.
A culture where menarche is celebrated in many places across India as Ritu Kala Samskara, where girls, are dressed up,all relatives come, giving her gifts, gifting her a Saree, marking the transition point in one's life, and making sure its a grand celebration.
Coming to the 27-28 day cycle, which is connected to the cycles of the moon, it was an instruction, 3 days of menstruation, should be spent alone, away from any daily chores,family, a period of tapas where blood( considered as Prana in Yoga), and the rajasic impurities are being pushed out of the body, as a natural phenomenon. This period is considered Assaucha, people translate it to impurity,NO, it means ineligible to perform certain actions, especially Puja Vidhi and aspects related to Agni(which are generally an energy upward moving process) ,whereas the 3 day period is downward moving process, ending at the Muladhara. Clearly to avoid the movement of energy in 2 opposite directions, and cause more havoc and confusion, and hence minimal house duties were to be done, with as much rest as possible. To reiterate the Asuaucha part, when someone passes away in the family, even men become asaucha to do pooja, goes to say it is not a discrimination with respect to gender.
Lets come to the more depressing part, Sabirmala, a temple where Lord Ayappa, is in the Naistik Brahmacharya Form, where he is taken a vow of celibacy, a certain tradition which has to be followed, is challenged by the so called Secular Liberals, in the name of gender discrimination? Though the local people, women who believe in this tradition of Lord Ayappa, made a clear case of protest against this judgement, there seems to be no traction given to these voices. A similar case happened in Shani Shignapur, the local women don't enter the temple in any circumstance, Sadhguru mentions, that it is a place of occult worship, and even men in certain states, shouldn't be entering such temples, but we are liberals, we can do anything, all right jump from a 20 storey building and expect not to die.
A temple is not a public place, it is a kshetram , it is the abode of the deity that lives, it is living, consecrated space, there are Agamas, rules to be followed, and if you don't have any understanding of them you better stay out of it, it is not a public garden that whoever with whatsoever his/her whims and fancies are, can enter such a space. If you go to kerala, even men who have injury marks, cuts,bleeds are not allowed inside any of the temples, it is a common practice.
To make it more gender sensitive, there are temples where men are not allowed, in the Linga Bhairavi temple , consecrated by Sadhguru, only women are allowed inside the garbhagraha . Sadhguru went to the extent of saying, if anytime in future, men try to overcome the rule, he will lock up the temple instead.
The same is with Dakshineswar Kali Temple. There are a list of such temples:-https://www.hinduhumanrights.info/heres-a-list-of-8-temples-in-india-where-men-are-not-allowed-to-enter/So it is clearly a case of not gender discrimination, but discretion.
Does all this look like Hinduism rejects menstruation and consider women as impure and all the nonsense that is spread around?
Its really depressing, that even Hindu women do not realise all this, we are such pathetic nut cases that we have to re-instate the obvious,I can't deny that I too was one of them.
Most of what I have written, I have learnt it from Nithin Sridhar ji , and from his book "Menstruation across Cultures". I highly recommend that every women should read that book at least once in their life, as early as possible- https://www.amazon.in/Sabarimala-Confusion-Menstruation-Historical-Perspective/dp/9386473461
Talk by Nithin Sridhar on Mesntruation and its practices-https://youtu.be/YFpVu3e-N9A
A video by Upword on the judgement -https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=454723361909841&id=179127419469438
" Re-Examining Sabarimala" by Rajarshi Nandy- http://www.pragyata.com/mag/reexamining-sabarimala-831?fbclid=IwAR0kHUG7jn6iCOO-cNtcGi9pj97aS-KlHD0owafpwIdUWmevzrtILlO6KIw
" Re-Examining Sabarimala" by Rajarshi Nandy- http://www.pragyata.com/mag/reexamining-sabarimala-831?fbclid=IwAR0kHUG7jn6iCOO-cNtcGi9pj97aS-KlHD0owafpwIdUWmevzrtILlO6KIw
An all time classic, rendition, of the Harivarasanam by KJ Yesudas- https://youtu.be/bRWVCTzLIv4
May Lord Ayappa and Sabiramala regain its full glory
May Lord Ayappa and Sabiramala regain its full glory
Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa
Being a woman and going through all the things you have stated, I can add a few points here
ReplyDeleteWomen had to spend three days in seclusion because
1. there was no sanitary measures like pads/tampons then. They would usually use cloth instead and sometimes not even that. It was an issue of hygiene
2. Normally, the menstrual cycle tends to weaken woman's immunity system and making them vulnerable to infections. Seclusion was a means to keep her away from rest of the people and hence safe.
3. Women's life would be hard physical labor. Those three days marked her monthly rest, a very well deserved one!
Randu, first of all stop telling people, especially women what to do. You don't have blood coming out of your privates. You don't know what that is, don't presume you can takeaway anyone's rights to worship during this period.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, you're so primitive. You're so insignificant that you cling to shit like this to make yourself seem relevant.
But your worthless views ON OTHER PEOPLE'S lives have real impact. People, of any religion, sect, gender will be affected by it, whereas them going to their place of worship, praying and returning home doesn't affect you one bit.
What you're doing is textbook bullying, it's not discretion. It's imposition. It's not up for argument either.
So kindly, shut the fuck up, take care of your own penis and don't even presume to talk about women on their period unless you're a doc.
1)If you read closely, he never dictated what women should or shouldn't do.
Delete2)He states straight facts in this article, never any personal opinion or knowing "how it feels like to have blood come out of his private parts".
3)you assume that he becomes relevant with this article.. and if you actually read the article you will realise that he isn't dictating anything.
4)calling him a "Randu" is textbook bullying my friend, not putting up a article with facts.
Finally,
Please learn to read the whole article before bringing your full on feminazi nature (not that it will make a difference cause feminazis like you will never give up on your crap mundane ideas).
Learn to see everything in a logical way.(since emotions clearly turned you into a feminazi) maybe it will make you a better person for your own sake.
Lastly, Feminazis like you are a deterrant to feminism, you people spoil what actual feminism is to us. Don't be mistaken ,idiots like you are what makes people call us retards when we try and talk about equality.
I'm asking him to never talk about it, since he's outright refusing to talk about anything via a woman's perspective.
DeleteThat message is so problematic, including the outright use of the R-word. That is insensitive, the lack of understanding of feminism is ignorant, the refusal to see what I'm saying is, well a burden.
Also, points 1,2 and 3 are all invalid, suggesting whoever responded hasn't read the article. Hence, no explanation necessary.
DeleteIts so funny, people don't have the intellect to read something without a bias!
ReplyDeleteAnd then use such filthy language, lets not mention anything on how you have grown up!
Of course it has to be an Anonymous comment, for you can't debate on integrity without attacking identity right?
I don't know who defended me, but Thanks!
I don't need to say anything more, the article is self explanatory.
Removed the option to comment anonymously, for it would have been easier for me to block this wonderful person, and throw him/her(seems like the latter) out of my space!
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ReplyDelete