Maturity of anandi - Page 2

Originally posted by: rgattu

Hello all

In India, in Hindu households girls/women are not allowed to cook, come into the kitchen, got to temple etc. Sometimes they are even asked to stay in a room by themselves. It all sounds very barbaric because it has been turned into a very barbaric practice over the years/centuries.

But the reasons were good enough in the beginning, the intentions were right. But as is with most things concerning most religions the reasons and logic behind are lost and only the practices remain without any understanding.

WHY?

Very simple, during menstruation body goes through a change. Any one with a decent high school education knows that there are various hormones secreted at various stages of the cycle. And we emanate these from the pores of our skins at all times in varying %. During a period the hormones released have an adverse reaction on foods like pickles etc., and hence women were not asked to touch them.

Also with the loss of bodily fluids women are slightly more tired etc. And some suffer from pains in the lower back, pain in the thighs, back of the knees, stomach abdomen etc.

When women were asked to confine themselves to a room and stay there till their period is over, it was meant as rest not as any stigma. But the meaning was somehow lost in translation.

I would gladly sit in a room for 3 days not having to do anything when I have my period. I get severe back pain, but I still have to run the house.

There are still communities in India (albeit in small remote villages) where they have a common house for women who have periods. The women really have a good time as they don't have to fetch water from miles, get wood, cook, clean etc.

It is not all bad, as long as one remembers the real reasons or tries to figure out what could be the reason...

Sorry for the long post, but had to say something...

R

Originally posted by: rgattu

Hello all

In India, in Hindu households girls/women are not allowed to cook, come into the kitchen, got to temple etc. Sometimes they are even asked to stay in a room by themselves. It all sounds very barbaric because it has been turned into a very barbaric practice over the years/centuries.

But the reasons were good enough in the beginning, the intentions were right. But as is with most things concerning most religions the reasons and logic behind are lost and only the practices remain without any understanding.

WHY?

Very simple, during menstruation body goes through a change. Any one with a decent high school education knows that there are various hormones secreted at various stages of the cycle. And we emanate these from the pores of our skins at all times in varying %. During a period the hormones released have an adverse reaction on foods like pickles etc., and hence women were not asked to touch them.

Also with the loss of bodily fluids women are slightly more tired etc. And some suffer from pains in the lower back, pain in the thighs, back of the knees, stomach abdomen etc.

When women were asked to confine themselves to a room and stay there till their period is over, it was meant as rest not as any stigma. But the meaning was somehow lost in translation.

I would gladly sit in a room for 3 days not having to do anything when I have my period. I get severe back pain, but I still have to run the house.

There are still communities in India (albeit in small remote villages) where they have a common house for women who have periods. The women really have a good time as they don't have to fetch water from miles, get wood, cook, clean etc.

It is not all bad, as long as one remembers the real reasons or tries to figure out what could be the reason...

Sorry for the long post, but had to say something...

R

Originally posted by: rgattu

Hello all

In India, in Hindu households girls/women are not allowed to cook, come into the kitchen, got to temple etc. Sometimes they are even asked to stay in a room by themselves. It all sounds very barbaric because it has been turned into a very barbaric practice over the years/centuries.

But the reasons were good enough in the beginning, the intentions were right. But as is with most things concerning most religions the reasons and logic behind are lost and only the practices remain without any understanding.

WHY?

Very simple, during menstruation body goes through a change. Any one with a decent high school education knows that there are various hormones secreted at various stages of the cycle. And we emanate these from the pores of our skins at all times in varying %. During a period the hormones released have an adverse reaction on foods like pickles etc., and hence women were not asked to touch them.

Also with the loss of bodily fluids women are slightly more tired etc. And some suffer from pains in the lower back, pain in the thighs, back of the knees, stomach abdomen etc.

When women were asked to confine themselves to a room and stay there till their period is over, it was meant as rest not as any stigma. But the meaning was somehow lost in translation.

I would gladly sit in a room for 3 days not having to do anything when I have my period. I get severe back pain, but I still have to run the house.

There are still communities in India (albeit in small remote villages) where they have a common house for women who have periods. The women really have a good time as they don't have to fetch water from miles, get wood, cook, clean etc.

It is not all bad, as long as one remembers the real reasons or tries to figure out what could be the reason...

Sorry for the long post, but had to say something...

R

Hello all

I am glad that people are coming up with varying viewpoints...I want to add a few things...

Someone mentioned poojas are performed when the girl matures – I have definitely seen it in South India. It is a celebration of a girl arriving into womanhood. Family is supposed to be happy that nature has taken its due course and perform a pooja thanking God for her fertility and celebrate. But nowadays it is done for all the wrong reasons…

Prayer/pooja rooms are meant for worship and always used to be kept clean and pleasantly decorated with flowers, incense etc to give an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Please do remember there were no sanitary napkins leave alone tampons. Cotton, old rags etc were used, very primitive ways which were bound to cause accidents and hence not to come to pooja rooms etc. – in fact as I had mentioned earlier, confined to one room! Again lost in translation!

Re hormones – one way or the other it has not been proved or disproved that menstrual toxins (menotoxins) don't cause problems. It happens in some women and it doesn't in others. We emanate from each and every part of our body, due to the presence of oil glands etc in certain parts of the body we get noticeable acne etc.

When I was in school I questioned my mum about food spoiling, and we experimented with making a small quantity of pickle. I would mix the mango pieces and the masala with my hand when I have my period – 3 out of 4 tests the pickle didn't last (I have made pickles many a time since and they do last ;-)). I am not saying this is proof, but there might be something about touching certain foods. My friend – if she touches fresh cut flowers when she has her period, they wouldn't last more than a couple of days – she swears by it and I do believe her cause I have seen it myself (and she is my best friend lol)!

I am a Hindu by birth which is my identity but I am an atheist as in I don't practice any religion and a pantheist as I believe God is in everything. I don't go to any holy place when I have my period – not because I believe I will contaminate but I know there are others who do and I try and respect their wish – small compromise. If I am not mistaken Zoroastrian faith also has something similar and I heard it in London too, women will not touch dough for bread etc. Who knows?

Cheers

R

Originally posted by: Indigo_i

hi there,

ohn the whole, i found ur post informative, but i wish to correct you of the thing above, the hormones released during the menstruation cycle, has nothing to do with the hormones released through the skin on the hands, so doesn't spoil food in any way at all. And secondly hormones are secreted from the pores on the face, and can result in spots, this seems to increase during periods. But the hormones are completely different. so there is no need to not touch food.

I wish to provide an Islamic POV, being a mislim. In Islam when on period, one is just not allowed to pray five times a day, or touch the holy book. however, nothing with serving food, or anything to do with food is being stopped, but i am aware these pratices do occur in the pakistani culture, which for the record is totally wrong. People like to invent things to be against women, and support the misogynist society we live in, and in the end blame it on islam, and for the record, history proves that Islamic POV was never again women, it's the western POV, which is regarded women as the reason of all evil, and since our culture is from Pakistan, which has it's roots from India, which was onle rules by Britain, that's where the corruption of religion comes from, and parts of our so called culture, but the British were be able to go past it, but some parts of our culture is still stuck in that time zone.

Anywaaaay, sorry for going in a big rant here, i just like cultures blaming anything on religion. also just wanted to point out where this misogynist POV came from. No harm intented towards anyone, if anyone got offended, i apologise.

Iqra