The myths and mystery's around menstrual period can be gathered from around the world as this is the one thing that I feel had caught the attention of the entire world in some or the other way.
Well it must be cos menstruation, fertility, pregnancy and menopause are the only reasons for the human life on this planet. So if it had garnished publicity when the science and physiology behind it was unknown, then it was a wonderful thing as it is always said as curiosity being the mother of invention.
People from all over the world were awed by their own bodies and some considered it a boon while some feared it.
Later on when they realized that our life was surviving on this planet only because the females were healthily menstruating, few celebrated the occasion while few wanted to protect themselves, their wife's or daughters from evil eyes and the apparent stress and agony associated with it. So the monthly cycle of the blood flow was indeed a regular thing which was highly needed.
So came the mighty legends associated with the bloody days. Few followed Chaupadi pratha, few celebrated the first bloom, few even drank the menstrual blood (ew, but truly few drank it along with wine and other concoctions) for a healthy life and many more things whatever felt right for them at that time.
So coming to our community, I am restricting to India in general but maybe more specified towards Hindu culture especially in South India.
So apparently ages before, our ancestors had a tradition of showing off to the world that their girl became fertile and was ready to be a mother. They were so naive, the only purpose in their life was to grow big, get married, have children, help them grow big, get them married, grow old and die eventually (ok not naive but i guess an intelligent thing to do at that time, so that the human race doesn't go extinct- Darwins theory of survival, i guess). So when they organized a huge party to show off their fertile girl to their whole community, their reason for celebration and joy was justified. They were ecstatic that their child was fertile and not barren and that their family had a future. They were in fact brilliant to have found a way to get the girl married by throwing a grand function for menarche and I totally appreciate they did justice to whatever the situations were.
But following that tradition after centuries, when people don't even have a right to get a girl married before she is 18, showcasing to the whole world that she bloomed or to put it appropriately menstruated, if not called foolishness what else would you call it. Embarrassing a girl who already is unaware as to what's happening to her body, is in my opinion not a tradition but a way to show to the world that you are dumb.
In those days, as they felt the girl was so fragile as she loses a lot of blood and many even complained of severe pain and restlessness, they made it a custom that the girl was to be freed of all the household duties and be kept in a separate room for the 3 days every month. So that she wouldn't be stressed further. Though they dint completely know the physiology behind but they managed to find a solution by banishing the girl for those days.
Maybe as the hygiene wasn't maintained well as they dint yet invent the mighty tampons or the sanitary pads, the girls weren't even allowed to touch food items, or pickles or enter kitchen or go to temples. Obviously as the tampons weren't available there was always a fear of staining and hence if stained in a public place especially temple, the girl would herself be embarrassed and would even result in embarrassment to the public and the cleaning of the temple or the premises would have to be carried out.
So what they did was totally justified when no information, no sanitary measures or no medication for PMS was available.
But how on earth would you justify these things continuing till date. Why are we still banished from praying, cooking or entering temples till date. We do in this generation fly, operate machinery, create applications, operate and save lives, do social service, rule the nations, give speeches, go on a holiday and do almost everything even in those days,like we do daily. Do we take leave from work or studying, then why do we still not enter temples during those days?
Why is it still followed. The best thing about our culture or traditions is that it is flexible. We do not impose things and never kill for not following them. So these practices we follow are just because we are not ready to accept the change. We still feel that we are impure those 3 days so we ourselves abstain self, our kids and even our grand-kids from entering holy places.
So lets educate the uneducated, lets make people who impose these things understand why these restrictions were followed then and why needn't be followed now.
Lets stop banishing the girls monthly at-least in this century and thereafter.
Well it must be cos menstruation, fertility, pregnancy and menopause are the only reasons for the human life on this planet. So if it had garnished publicity when the science and physiology behind it was unknown, then it was a wonderful thing as it is always said as curiosity being the mother of invention.
People from all over the world were awed by their own bodies and some considered it a boon while some feared it.
Later on when they realized that our life was surviving on this planet only because the females were healthily menstruating, few celebrated the occasion while few wanted to protect themselves, their wife's or daughters from evil eyes and the apparent stress and agony associated with it. So the monthly cycle of the blood flow was indeed a regular thing which was highly needed.
So came the mighty legends associated with the bloody days. Few followed Chaupadi pratha, few celebrated the first bloom, few even drank the menstrual blood (ew, but truly few drank it along with wine and other concoctions) for a healthy life and many more things whatever felt right for them at that time.
So coming to our community, I am restricting to India in general but maybe more specified towards Hindu culture especially in South India.
So apparently ages before, our ancestors had a tradition of showing off to the world that their girl became fertile and was ready to be a mother. They were so naive, the only purpose in their life was to grow big, get married, have children, help them grow big, get them married, grow old and die eventually (ok not naive but i guess an intelligent thing to do at that time, so that the human race doesn't go extinct- Darwins theory of survival, i guess). So when they organized a huge party to show off their fertile girl to their whole community, their reason for celebration and joy was justified. They were ecstatic that their child was fertile and not barren and that their family had a future. They were in fact brilliant to have found a way to get the girl married by throwing a grand function for menarche and I totally appreciate they did justice to whatever the situations were.
But following that tradition after centuries, when people don't even have a right to get a girl married before she is 18, showcasing to the whole world that she bloomed or to put it appropriately menstruated, if not called foolishness what else would you call it. Embarrassing a girl who already is unaware as to what's happening to her body, is in my opinion not a tradition but a way to show to the world that you are dumb.
In those days, as they felt the girl was so fragile as she loses a lot of blood and many even complained of severe pain and restlessness, they made it a custom that the girl was to be freed of all the household duties and be kept in a separate room for the 3 days every month. So that she wouldn't be stressed further. Though they dint completely know the physiology behind but they managed to find a solution by banishing the girl for those days.
Maybe as the hygiene wasn't maintained well as they dint yet invent the mighty tampons or the sanitary pads, the girls weren't even allowed to touch food items, or pickles or enter kitchen or go to temples. Obviously as the tampons weren't available there was always a fear of staining and hence if stained in a public place especially temple, the girl would herself be embarrassed and would even result in embarrassment to the public and the cleaning of the temple or the premises would have to be carried out.
So what they did was totally justified when no information, no sanitary measures or no medication for PMS was available.
But how on earth would you justify these things continuing till date. Why are we still banished from praying, cooking or entering temples till date. We do in this generation fly, operate machinery, create applications, operate and save lives, do social service, rule the nations, give speeches, go on a holiday and do almost everything even in those days,like we do daily. Do we take leave from work or studying, then why do we still not enter temples during those days?
Why is it still followed. The best thing about our culture or traditions is that it is flexible. We do not impose things and never kill for not following them. So these practices we follow are just because we are not ready to accept the change. We still feel that we are impure those 3 days so we ourselves abstain self, our kids and even our grand-kids from entering holy places.
So lets educate the uneducated, lets make people who impose these things understand why these restrictions were followed then and why needn't be followed now.
Lets stop banishing the girls monthly at-least in this century and thereafter.
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